Wizarding Common Law
by Lady Mage
Summary: Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for 7 years now which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Meanwhile Hermione is head of the Auror department and dealing with a multiple murder case...
1. Seven Years Later

**A/N: Okay all, welcome to my newest story "Wizarding Common Law". This will probably be a twelve to thirteen chaptered romance/mystery/humor fic. I'm listing it as romace and mystery, but I promise you, it has its moments of humor as well. I hope you enjoy, and I promise, I will be updating regularly, so never fear!****

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Wizarding Common Law

**Chapter One: Seven Years Later**

_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world? Moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?

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The twenty five year old Hermione Granger paused at the corner of the Auror office where she had worked as an Auror the past seven years, opened the door, and went in.

"Wotcher, Hermione," Ron called. He had taken over saying 'wotcher' to commemorate the dead Nymphadora T. Lupin.

"Hello, Ronald," she said in her usual fashion. She knew it bothered him, and that was why she did it. There was a time after the war when she was continuously bothered by him (like when he had just started dating Luna and going on about crumple-horned snorkacks), and now it just was a habit.

He growled, and pivoted his revolving chair away from the door.

Hermione walked in, laughing at his drama. She was used to the Weasley drama- after all, didn't she have to live with it every day? Although, admittedly, Fred was less annoying even if he did play more practical jokes.

In short, Fred was an angel, and she was glad that she'd found herself needing a home and he'd offered her house-room. He'd been the perfect housemate these past seven years and they got along fantastically. His near-death experience in the war had done wonders to make him more mature.

But back to work. Ron was certainly _not_ an angel, and now he was leafing through papers dramatically pretending to ignore her.

"Where's everyone else?" she asked. As the head of the Auror department, they had better be on time or be responsible to her.

"The clock went back from Daylight savings time, remember?" Ron said, as if he knew it all.

"You can't fool me Ron- you obviously had the same problem!" she retorted, a little put out.

"Hmph," was all he had to say.

Ah well. Let Ron ruffle his papers. She had better things to do, like deal with the case that had just come in about how a Mr. Perkin Warbeck, the opposition for the muggle prime minister, had been murdered in East Anglia in a locked room from the inside. It was obviously a wizard killing, but who would have done that? To add to it, it was the third in a series of killings that all seemed related somehow. She thought she had had everything under control since she had become the head of the Auror department two years ago when Kingsley was made Minister of Magic. Kingsley thought it was serious, and he was probably right.

She would have to brief the rest of Ron's group when they came in, and perhaps even get Honoria's and Eleanor's groups involved. This was a serious matter, and had to be investigated thoroughly. After all, weren't Voldemort's first killings much like the killing of Warbeck?

She didn't know what to think, and so she sat down and reviewed all of the information. Mr. Warbeck had been a well-to-do muggle who was involved in muggle politics. In fact, he was pretty high up and was the opposition for the current muggle prime minister. At first glance, it seemed as if it was a killing by a muggle hater. But it might be something more serious.

Gradually, the other Aurors filed in. Honoria Callahan, Group Leader; Pavarti Patil, in Honoria's group; Eleanor Dudley, Group Leader; Dean Thomas, in Eleanor's group; Seamus Finnigan, also in Eleanor's group; Lambert Fortescue, Ron's group; Ginny Weasley, Honoria's group; and so forth and so on…

Hermione mentally prepared herself to begin the day. Even after two years, she still wasn't used to being the head of the Auror department. It had come suddenly, right after her promotion to group leader, but she _had _wanted to reform the old system and it was not her place to complain that as head of the department she saw less adventure than the rest of the Aurors.

"Allright, folks, we've got a problem here… I've just come from speaking to the minister, and it relates to the two previous killings…"

They groaned. That could never be good.

* * *

After a long day at the office (she put Honoria's and Eleanor's squads on the problem of Mr. Warbeck) Hermione was glad to get home to the flat she shared with Fred. 

Fred was already there, and was stirring some concoction over the stove in his Weasley's Wizard Wheezes robes. Hermione always thought they were really amusing- the magenta robes clashed so brilliantly with his hair and freckles…

"Hey 'Mione," Fred greeted her, "Just a moment- I'm almost done here."

Hermione nodded and went into her room to get her Birkenstocks- marvelous muggle shoes that always felt nice after a day in high heels.

She plopped on the couch after pulling some turkey out of the fridge and regarded Fred. He was a few years older than her, perhaps 27, but he looked younger from the constant fun he had in his shop. But Hermione knew that behind that young looking face of a prankster lay something deeper and more powerful. For instance, the unexpected help she had had from his quarter when she had been promoted to Head of the Auror department and was tackling her first major case.

Fred finished in the kitchen and came and sat on the couch with her. "How was your day?" he asked.

"Well, I spoke to the minister and there seems to have been another killing, this time a Mr. Perkin Warbeck, opposition to the muggle minister," she said slowly.

Fred looked thoughtful and reached for some of her turkey. "Do you think these killings are connected?"

Hermione frowned, "I thought of that," she said, "It seems as if someone is trying to whittle down the muggle Parliament's people."

"Hmm…" was all Fred had to say.

"But why?" she asked. "There is nothing to connect the killings except for the presence of toilet paper in all the rooms!"

"Portkeys, perhaps?"

"I already thought of that," she said, "But no, when tested, they don't work. I had them tested for magic too, but it's only the common spell to make it soft!"

"Hmm…" Fred said again, "I'll let you know if I think of anything, ok?"

"Thanks Fred," she said, hugging him, "You're the best."

"Anything for 'Mione," Fred replied into her ear.

"Anything?" Hermione joked.

"Well, maybe not _anything_, but a lot."

"Thanks Fred."

"You're welcome," he said, before grabbing the container of turkey from her hands, "Now lets have a real dinner, and sit down at the table and everything. Sound good?"

"Yeah," she said. Suddenly she was very hungry.

"Good, the spinach quiche will be out momentarily."

Hermione grinned. Fred's spinach quiche, previously known as Mrs. Weasley's spinach quiche, was one of the most delicious things in the world.

They sat down at the table and he served her.

"Yum," she said, "So delicious."

Fred beamed. They sat there for a while, just enjoying the food and the aroma of the kitchen, before Fred remembered something.

"'Mione?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"Well your solicitor paid a call right before you got home. He wouldn't tell me what he wanted, but I think you should owl him in the morning."

"Probably something about the Warbeck case that I asked him to investigate," she said, "I'm sure it's nothing serious."

They were soon to learn otherwise.

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**A/N: I hope you like it... more to come Saturday. This will be a Hermione/Fred pairing as you probably allready guessed from the summary and story. Please leave a review telling me what you think of it?**

**Lady Mage**


	2. Is She Mrs Weasley?

**A/N: Wow, I was amazed at the response this got. Thanks guys! You rock! Okay, well, on to the next chapter... I hope you enjoy it, and please leave a review on your way out:)

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Wizarding Common Law

**Chapter Two: Is She Mrs. Weasley?**

_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world? Moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?

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The next morning, Hermione awoke in her bed to the smell of coffee. Wondering why that smell was permeating the house, she wandered into the kitchen to be confronted with her solicitor making himself coffee.

"Make yourself at home, why don't you," Hermione said grouchily. Hermione was never very cheerful in the mornings, especially when the smell of coffee was around. She hated coffee with a passion. Apparently, her solicitor didn't agree with her because he was busy pouring himself quite a large cup of the substance.

"I will," said the solicitor, a Mr. Wood, cheerfully. It appeared that Mr. Wood was not grouchy in the morning, but rather very bouncy and happy.

Hermione glared at him for a couple moments. "Get to the point already!" she said in a rare fit of temper when he didn't say anything else.

"I am, I am," said the portly Mr. Wood, sipping his coffee delicately like a male version of Professor Umbridge.

"Then say it!"

"I simply dropped by to congratulate you on your marriage, Ms. Granger, and I wanted to ask you if you will be keeping the surname 'Granger' or changing it to 'Weasley'?"

Hermione stared at him. She must have heard him wrong. "Pardon, _what_ exactly did you just say?" she asked, "I must have heard you wrong- I could have sworn you just-"

"What, has someone performed a memory charm on you?" he asked a little surprised, and muttered to himself that he would have thought the Head of the Auror department too good at magic to have that happen to her. "You married Mr. Fred Weasley yesterday, did you not? I saw the announcement in the Daily Prophet this morning, and wanted to be the first to offer my congratulations."

Hermione spluttered, still not grasping what happened.

He continued. "And to ask you if you are planning on keeping your maiden name- the world _does _know you as Hermione Granger, and I do not think you should change it to Weasley."

"But how? We never went through the ceremony!" Yes, she had had a secret little crush on him for a while, but surely this was too stupid to be a dream?

Mr. Wood looked thoughtfully for a moment. "How long have you been living together?" he asked.

"Seven years, as of yesterday," she replied.

"Ah, that would explain it," he said. "You see, when a witch and wizard live together for an extended period of time, seven years I believe, their magic starts to bond. If they move out or break up, both become magically unstable. There are ways around this of course, if they really wanted to split up, but the automatic response is marriage, enabling the two people to stay together and have stronger magic."

"WHAT?" Hermione was flabbergasted. How come she had never heard of this in all her reading?

"Yes," he said, "According to Wizarding Common Law- these are the fundamental rules of wizarding government and magic, you understand- any witch and wizard who live together for the period of seven years automatically become married on the seventh anniversary of their living together."

Hermione was still a little flabbergasted. So this wasn't a dream. Her subconscious could never have come up with that. But what on earth was she going to say to Fred and what were they going to do? She was working on an important case, dammit! And with her marriage appearing in the prophet, it was going to be blasted hard to work… wait a moment, how did it get in the prophet anyways?

"How did the marriage get in the prophet anyways?" she asked, still bemused at the idea of being married to her long-time crush. She didn't mind, but it was out of the blue and she didn't want to ruin her relationship with Fred over something trivial. She'd rather be friends than have awesome sex for one day and break up the next. Besides, it was blasted bad timing what with the Warbeck case and all.

"The prophet has sensors for these kinds of things, and when it felt that you and Mr. Weasley had been living together the set amount of time, it put the announcement in so you wouldn't have to bother," he supplied helpfully, "Was there anything else?"

Hermione shook her head, still a little out of it. "No, not right now," she said wryly, "But no doubt there will be momentarily. I'll owl you tomorrow."

"And the last name?" he queried.

"Yes, yes, Granger will be fine," she said, still a little disturbed, "Is that everything?"

Mr. Wood looked happy that she had finally returned to her senses and departed after wishing her happiness in her marriage.

Her marriage; what a strange thought.

Fred came into the room looking rather gleeful. "What a good joke!" he said, before heading to the icebox to get bacon for the stove.

"You heard?"

"Of course I did- I smelled the coffee and went to investigate," he said, "But you got there first- your room is closest to the kitchen."

Hermione laughed. Her room was indeed, closer to the kitchen, and it was a long-standing mock-argument between them. He did have the better view from his window, a fact that made his room nicer.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked cheerily.

Hermione looked at him, "You're just going to blow talk of our marriage off? It's true, you know."

"I know," he said, "And we will talk about it, but later, when you come home from work." He flipped the bacon before saying, "You've got enough on your mind as it is with the Warbeck case, and George and I are debuting our 'toilet paper traumas' today that we've been working on for weeks."

"Okay," she said, a little comforted, pleased that he was being so respectful of what she needed to get done. "I'm fine with that, but we're going to your mum's house tonight, remember?"

"Oh lord," Fred said, letting his bacon burn and putting his head in his hands, "I forgot we were going there tonight… do you think she knows?"

"Is she Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked.

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**A/N: Okay, well, not much happened with the Warbeck case in this chapter, but it was necessary. I promise, the next chapter will have more of the mystery. And yes, toilet paper plays a pretty major role. Please review to tell me what you thought of it, and until next time (probably Tuesday),**

**Lady Mage**


	3. Honeymoon: a day at the office

**A/N: I had such an amazing response to this last chapter- you guys are absolutely fantastic! I hope you like this chapter too! Just a couple of things- I've included a list of the Aurors at the top of the story that you can refer to so you aren't confused. I hope the formatting doesn't get messed up on it. Group leaders are in bold, and the people in their group are beneath them. ****

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Wizarding Common Law

**Chapter Three: Honeymoon- a day at the office**

_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world? Moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?

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**Hermione, Head of Auror Department**

**Honoria Callahan, 37...,...Eleanor Dudley, 32...,...Ronald Weasley, 25 **

...Pavarti Patil, 25...,...,...,...Dean Thomas, 25...,...,...,Lambert Fortescue,20

..Ginny Weasley, 24...,...,...Seamus Finnigan, 25...,...,...Patricia Cote, 45

Phineus Gardiner, 42...,...,..Samson Prewett, 29...,...,...Rudolphus Ace, 30

..David Dawlish, 30...,...,...,..Antoine Percy, 20...,...,...,Natasha Collins, 21

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The moment Hermione walked into the office she knew it was going to be a long day. Both Eleanor and Honoria, two of the three squad leaders in the department (Ron was the other) congratulated her on her marriage. Patricia Cote, aged 45, of Ron's squad, gushed over her and asked if she was on her honeymoon. 

"Certainly not!" Hermione replied. "We've got loads to do, and that includes you, Ronald!"

Ron was busy sulking because he hadn't been told that she was marrying his own brother, and Ginny, of Honoria's squad, seemed to find it vastly amusing.

"Fine," he grumbled.

"Don't 'fine' me young man- we've got loads to do!" Hermione snapped, "Now, what have you all found out for me? Please make your reports in order. Dudley, you are first."

Eleanor stepped forward. "We do not have much to report. Prewett, please give the briefing."

Samson Prewett, aged 29 stepped forward. He was a young man with blond hair and had been in seventh year when Hermione was in third. Nevertheless, he was very loyal despite how much older he was than her.

"As you know, I have looked over the murders of Mr. Warbeck, Mr. White, and Mr. Stoke. The only thing that seems to be the same is that they are killed from the inside of a locked room; they are all active representatives in Muggle government, and toilet paper is found at the scene." He bowed and sat down. Aurors could be very formal on the job sometimes- it came part and parcel with risking their lives, Hermione supposed.

Toilet paper… she knew there was something about it that she should remember, but it wasn't coming to her… maybe it was something Fred had said? No matter, she would no doubt think of it later.

"Thank you, Mr. Prewett," Hermione said. "Callahan, is there anything you would like to report?"

"Yes, Ms. Granger," she said, before looking very confused, "or is it Ms. Weasley now?"

Hermione frowned. "Ms. Granger will do fine," she said.

"Allright then, Ms. Granger," Honoria said. Honoria was a thirty-seven year old woman who had been a co-worker with Nymphadora T. Lupin, a legend among Aurors. Hermione had gotten the promotion instead of Honoria, and Honoria had been thrilled because she had wanted to remain in the middle of the action and not paper shuffling.

She continued, "My squad has been investigating the legislation they were trying to get through their paralenemt, or whatever they call it. Gardiner can tell you more about each individual bill and how they are the same, but it relates to the brute savages that cut people open with knives- I think they call the codocts." Honoria Callahan was a pureblood, and while well meaning, she was not used to muggle words.

"It's parliament and doctors," Gardiner corrected. Forty-two year old Phineus Gardiner had worked as a bodygaurd for the prime minister before and knew all the lingo.

"Right you are," Honoria said. "Gardiner is investigating further and can get you a list of all the names of the ministers that support the codocts-"

Phineus Gardiner interrupted here: "Doctors," he insisted.

"Yes, yes," Honoria continued, "And we can go from there."

"Right," Hermione said. "Good work, all of you. Callahan, I want you to get that list from Gardiner and put your people in their offices working as bodyguards and spies. I expect a full report from each of your people. Gardiner, please give me a report on all the ministers supporting the doctors as well as the bills relating to them. I expect it on my desk Monday morning."

"Yes, ma'am," Honoria Callahan's group said in unison. Phineus Gardiner grinned at her impishly. Hermione smiled back. He really did know his stuff; she was glad she had him.

* * *

All in all it was an effective day at work, Hermione decided, leaving the office with Ginny and Ron in tow. She'd found out a little more about the case, and she hadn't been bothered too much by people offering their unwanted felicitations- they seemed to realize that she wanted to get work done. No doubt they thought that was because she wanted to go on her honeymoon, but the desire to get work done was the same no matter how you looked at it, and she was glad people were respectful. 

Now, Ginny and Ron wanted answers. Hermione supposed she would have to tell them the whole story. And after she told it to them, she was going to have to tell the rest of the Weasley family. Good thing Harry was still teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts; she didn't have to explain herself to him just yet. But he no doubt would hear from Ginny, his long time wife soon, and she would receive several lengthy letters demanding explanations.

"So, spill!" Ginny Potter said, sitting down in a booth in the Leaky Cauldron. "How long have you been dating?"

"We haven't," Hermione replied, looking at the vegetarian options. Not that she was a vegetarian, it was just that she didn't like the way the Leaky Cauldron fixed their meat.

"So it's just a quick shag every now and then?" Ron asked impoliticly. Ron could be so obtuse sometimes. His fiancée Luna had gone a long way to curing him of that habit, but he still could be annoying.

"Ron!" Ginny protested.

"No, it's not like that," Hermione said, finally deciding on the quiche, although she knew there was no way it was going to be as good as Fred's.

"Then what is it like?" Ginny asked, leaning forward. Hermione supposed she wanted all the juicy details of their sex life, except could disguise it better than Ron.

"Have you ever heard of Wizarding Commonlaw?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," said Ron, "That's the set of laws that says things like every witch and wizard have a right to education at Hogwarts, every witch and wizard is equal, and all, right?"

"Well, yeah," Hermione said, "Except there's a part you left out- the marriage law."

Ginny looked a little stumped. "Never heard of that one," she said.

"Neither had I," Hermione replied, "until this morning, that is. Apparently, after seven years of living together, a witch and wizards' magic becomes so bonded that they are automatically married. This is supposed to be healthier for the parties involved and generally doesn't happen because few witches and wizards live together as friends- most are either already married or planning on marriage. The prophet has a sensor that knows when the 7th year anniversary is, and automatically prints an announcement."

"Wow," said Ron, "So you are basically shackled to him for the rest of your life?"

"Well…"

"She doesn't mind," cut in Ginny, looking at Hermione closely. "You already fancy Fred, don't you, Hermione?"

Hermione was about to protest that she did no such thing when the man in question came up to the table.

"Hi Fred," she and Ginny chimed whereas Ron said, "Wotcher Fred," in commemoration of Nymphadora T. Lupin, Auror Extraordinaire.

"Hey Ginny, Ron, 'Mione," he nodded at each of them in turn but gave Hermione a special smile to let her know that he knew what a rough day she must have had and that everything was going to be all right. She smiled back.

Fred sat down with them, they all ate, and then headed off to the Burrow, where they would face the great Weasley matriarch herself.

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"And you are married?" Mrs. Weasley asked, "This is so lovely! How romantic! Eloping like that! Although Ron and Luna, if you do that I will fry you alive.." she trailed off, beaming at the entire table. 

Fred and Hermione looked helplessly at each other. They had tried five times now to let Mrs. Weasley know that theirs was not a real marriage, but she would not listen. She kept going on about how she never knew that they were possibly dating, and never would have allowed them to live together if she knew, but all was well that ends well, and now they were married. Then she asked when the baby was due.

Hermione was taken aback. "Baby? What baby?" she asked.

Mr. Weasley looked a little embarrassed by his wife. "It looks as if there is no baby yet, dear," he said to his wife.

But Mrs. Weasley was adamant where she thought she was right. "There'll be a baby before June, or my name isn't Molly Weasley!" Fred and Hermione both turned a violent red color, both thinking about what they would have to do to get that baby. Hermione decided she wouldn't mind so much if it happened. Ginny observed both of them, interestedly.

Bill and Charlie both thought it was a good joke, and Percy looked at them disapprovingly. Hermione supposed he was thinking that he and his wife never would have done anything so inappropriate as eloping. George was absent for unspecified reasons- when Fred was asked he confessed that he didn't know either.

"He's been awfully mysterious lately," Fred said to the table once Mrs. Weasley had halted her rhapsodies long enough to ask where her other son was.

"Hmph." was all Mrs. Weasley had to say on the subject. Hermione could see a storm brewing, but Charlie decided to have the attention refocus to Fred and Hermione who he felt hadn't been hit hard enough.

"Mum," he said, with a wink at Fred, "this is a time for rejoicing! Our dearest brother is married!"

Hermione groaned. Charlie's comment sent Mrs. Weasley off again, and finally, she and Fred gave up on Mrs. Weasley ever understanding about their marriage. They trundled back to their house, both not saying a word. They would save their discussions for the next day… right now each wanted their bed.

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**A/N: Okay, well I hope Mrs. Weasley was in charachter there. I think she is, but tell me know what you think. I hope you liked this installment! I will be updating very soon, I promise! Thanks for all your continued support... hint hint, leave a review on your way out. :)**

**Thanks,**

**Lady Mage**


	4. Wedding Presents

**A/N: Okay, firstly, I would like to thank all of you who tried so hard last week to give me your feedback, even if you had to PM or email me. I guess the review system wasn't working, and I was gone this Saturday and unable to post. I am truly sorry you did not get this chapter sooner. So, without much more ado, I present:

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**Wizarding Common Law**

**Chapter Four: Wedding Presents**

**_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world? And moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?

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The next morning, a Friday, Hermione was again woken by the smell of coffee. Swearing (which was something she rarely did) she made her way into the kitchen, expecting to see the solicitor and yell that it was all his fault that she and Fred were married.

But instead of seeing the portly Mr. Wood, she saw George Weasley, Fred's twin brother and other half cheerfully pouring himself a cup of the toxious substance called coffee and whistling "There was once a maid Nimue" to himself under his breath. He saw her, and ceased pouring his coffee.

"About time!" he said, "You and my o so glorious brother have been denying your love for each other for seven years now!"

Hermione spluttered. It must be noted here that she really wasn't very loquacious or civil in the morning.

"We're not together and you know it! We sleep in different beds for goodness sakes!"

George looked momentarily taken aback. Then he seemed to figure out something. "Ah, that's because of the baby! I understand!"

She spluttered for a moment before giving it up and looking around. What were presents doing scattered around her living room? There were probably a hundred boxes of various shapes and sizes. And there were owls swooping in through the owl-window to deliver more all the time. Hermione almost got clunked with a large broom sized object that an owl was attempting to deposit in her lap.

"What the-" she opened up the attached card. It read:

Congratulations on your marriage. May you two lead long and happy lives.

Albert Dodkins, Head of Magical Games and Sports

It was a Silver Arrow 3000! The newest broom on the market!

"Wow," George breathed, "What a beauty."

"Yeah," said Fred, coming into the room. "Say George, you didn't tell me that you were going to pop over this morning, and why didn't you show up last night? We were all expecting you!"

"O, that," said George, "Well, I figured I would follow the twinly example put before me and get married myself."

"What?" Hermione asked. She seemed to be saying that a lot recently.

Fred just looked at George, "O no you didn't… did you?"

George just cackled, and Fred started too. "Did you really?" he finally asked.

"Did he WHAT?" Hermione wanted to know what was going on.

"Yes, I got married to Alicia Spinnet last night," he said.

"Mum's going to freak," Fred said happily. "Two weddings that she missed out on now! Next Ron and Luna will be eloping and Harry will quit his DADA position to be a real dada!"

"How's Alicia?" Hermione finally asked, thinking that Alicia might feel a victim of George.

"Alicia?" George asked, "She's fine. We've been engaged for a year now… we just didn't want to tell mum because she'd coo over us. So we finally decided just to tie the knot!"

"You've been engaged a year?" Fred exploded, "Why didn't you tell me?"

George smirked, "For the same reason that you didn't tell me that you and Hermione have been sleeping together for seven years!"

Hermione spluttered, "We're not sleeping together, for crying out loud! We're just friends, and then that stupid law came along!"

George smiled knowingly. "Right,"

Fred backed Hermione up, "It's true."

"Yes of course, tell me later. Toilet paper traumas to sell, what what!" George was obviously trying to take on the air of a portly country gentleman and utterly failing. He Apparated off.

"Well of all the…. wait… toilet paper," Hermione tried to grasp her idea. She knew there was something about toilet paper that was important, but she couldn't for the life of her think of what it was. Ah well. It would come to her, right?

Fred looked at her oddly for a moment before saying, "It's just George trying to be funny. He doesn't mean it, serious."

Hermione smiled at Fred. He was so sweet.

"But what are we going to do about the presents?" Hermione was glad that as the Head of the Auror department she was entitled to take a day off, using her recent 'marriage' as an excuse.

"Keep them for the moment I suppose. We can say we got married and then divorce a week later. That way we keep the stuff…"

"Greedy!" Hermione accused, sad that he didn't want to stay married to her.

"I am not!" The mock-argument proceeded from there, and a tickling fight ensued.

"Gotcha!" Fred said triumphantly, rolling over on top of her and tickling her sides.

She screamed with mirth then sobered as she realized their position. She was on her back and he was directly on top of her, his hands still at her waist. Their mouths were inches apart, and his hair was falling in her face. She was overcome with the overwhelming desire to lean up and kiss him so passionately that he wouldn't breathe for a full minute, and for a moment she thought she saw something in his eyes.

But she couldn't do that; it would bring too many complications. Laughing weakly, she rolled so she was on top of him, and they resumed their tickle fight. But the tickles never quite had the same quality after that because she couldn't stop thinking about how she wanted to snog him senseless.

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**A/N: I bet you were wondering where George was, weren't you? Lol, well now you know. And look at that interesting development between a certain Weasley and his 'wife'. :) I will be updating Saturday or Sunday, so keep your eyes open! And please leave a review to let me know what you think of this story! **

**Lady Mage **


	5. The Upstairs Room on the Right

**A/N: If you get a little confused about the Auror heirarchy, see chapter three.

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**

Wizarding Common Law

Chapter 5: The Upstairs Room on the Right 

_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world, and moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?

* * *

_

Finishing their tickle fight, Fred and Hermione decided it was time for some lunch.

"Say Hermione, I really don't want to cook," Fred said hopefully. He had had a busy week at work, just like her.

"Let's go out," she said.

"Sounds like a plan."

"Should we walk?"

"Nah," he replied. "Let's just Apparate."

They grabbed their cloaks and hats and Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. Tom, the bartender, looked up from the book he was reading and asked them what they wanted to eat. The place was deserted which surprised Hermione.

"What's going on, Tom?" she asked.

Tom shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "No one's been in here all day, and I can't seem to get out of the doors."

"That's strange," Fred said, stroking his chin. "Don't people have to come through here to get to Diagon Alley?"

"I guess they all Flooed today," Tom said morbidly, "look, did you want to get anything?"

Hermione took pity on Tom and ordered the most expensive thing on the menu (the salmon with pesto sauce), and Fred did likewise with the second most expensive thing on the menu (the honey-cured ham cured by Tom himself). Tom beamed at them. "That'll be coming right up," he said.

They sat down at the booth. "Wonder what could have happened to keep people away?" Fred asked himself.

Hermione shrugged. She didn't know and right now, she didn't care. She was with Fred and nothing else seemed to matter. _Wait a moment,_ she stopped herself_, where'd that thought come from? Of course other things matter!_ Still, it was nice being with Fred. Although, it was strange that they were married… And they still hadn't talked about it yet. Obviously he was trying to think of a way to diplomatically say that he didn't want to be married to her. For some reason this made her extremely sad.

Their food was brought up, and both dived in, both extremely aware of the other. Hermione reached for the salt at the same time as Fred and their hands collided. Another time, Hermione dropped her napkin and was reaching down to get it when Fred moved his knee and hit her head with it.

All in all, it was an awkward but good lunch made bad by the strange fact that they were the only ones in the Leaky Cauldron. People had not started to filter in like Fred thought they would, and Hermione was starting to wonder why. She _was_ an Auror after all- it was her job to be always alert, even if she wasn't on duty.

"I don't like the looks of this," she told Fred, and he nodded.

"Me neither," he mumbled, mouth still full of the honey-cured ham that was the Leaky Cauldron's second-finest specialty.

"Wait a moment, I'll be back," she said, getting out of the booth, "I'm going to Floo the minister."

Fred nodded. She knew he understood that her work and the safety of the wizarding world came before him. Still, she couldn't help noticing the wistful look on his face. It was almost as if he didn't want her to go and he had been having a good time… _Snap out of it_, she told herself, _there's work to be done here._

"Tom," she said, "I need to borrow your fireplace." The Leaky Cauldron's fireplace was one of the Ministry-Approved safe fireplaces for Aurors who needed to contact someone in an emergency. Tom seemed to grasp the importance of her request (after all, he'd had many such requests from Honoria Callahan, Eleanor Dudley, and of course, Ron) and motioned for her to follow him to the back.

Kneeling before the fireplace, she threw the Floo powder on the already roaring flames. "The Minister of Magic," she said, clearly, and thrust her head into the fireplace. For a moment she was disoriented, but she soon regained her bearings. She was looking out of Kingsley Shacklebolts's fireplace and into his office. A secretary looked at Hermione and ran to get him, and Hermione nodded in approval. Right on the ball, that one was. Better than the last one anyways, whom Hermione had had to talk to for half an hour to convince of the seriousness of the situation.

In a moment, the secretary was back, Shacklebolt in tow. Hermione's heart immediately fell at the look on his face. So something _was_ up.

He didn't waste time for pleasantries. "What do you know?" he asked gravely.

"Not much," Hermione reported. "I was out to lunch with Fred in the Leaky Cauldron and no one else was there. Normally lunchtime is a very busy time at the Leaky Cauldron, and Tom said he hadn't had any visitors all day. I thought something was up. Am I right?"

"Unfortunately, you are, Ms. Granger. A group of pureblood maniacs has erected a blockade of dead muggle doctors outside the door. There are about twenty of them stuck with a Permanent sticking charm to the door. Another such display can be found right inside the entry way into Diagon Alley."

Hermione's jaw dropped and she winced. This wasn't supposed to happen on her watch. It must have something to do with the Warbeck case (it was doctors that were killed after all) but what? First it was muggles that were supporting the doctors that were killed, and now the doctors themselves? What on earth was going on?

Kingsley looked at the expression on her face and let out a laugh so completely devoid of emotion that it scared Hermione a little. It looked like he had been through a lot. "Yes," he said, "I'm afraid it is true. The memory modification squad is on it right now, but there are just too many muggles who have seen the dead bodies of the doctors, and it is hard to modify the memories of them all. The bodies won't come the door of the Leaky Cauldron and the floor of the entrance into Diagon Alley despite our best efforts, and we are busy placing 'Do not notice me' charms on them to control the damage."

"I see," Hermione said. "So much for my weekend, hmm?"

"I'm sorry," Kingsley said apologetically, "I know you are newly married and all, but we really do need you! You are the only one who has such a good background in muggle life and can possibly figure out what on earth is going on."

Hermione nodded her head. She understood; she just felt bad for Fred because he was all alone in the Leaky Cauldron, hemmed in by dead bodies of doctors that he didn't even know were there. Although, come to think of it, he might be really helpful in this case as he had been in previous cases…

"I'm off to see the Muggle minister right now," Kingsley said, interrupting her thoughts, "You know what to do."

Hermione nodded again and backed out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron. She knew a dismissal when she heard it, and she also knew what she had to do. Pressing the badge she wore at all times on her robes, she spoke into it. They would have to use the upstairs room on the right- she just wasn't sure how secure the office was if the pureblood maniacs had managed to penetrate the wards surrounding the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley which were supposed to stop this kind of thing from happening. "Callahan," she said into the badge, "please report to the Leaky Cauldron immediately. Apparate into the upstairs room on the right." Honoria Callahan replied in the affirmative.

Hermione then pressed her badge again to get Eleanor Dudley. Pressing it a third time, she contacted Ron, the third group leader. "Ron," she said, "please report to the Leaky Cauldron immediately. Apparate into the upstairs room on the right."

There was a pause from the other end and a couple of moans.

"Ron?"

"Yes, I'm here," he said, and there was a big crash. Hermione guessed he was probably with Luna. "The upstairs room on the right?"

"Yes."

"This is serious then?"

"Ronald!"

"Okay, okay, coming!" The connection died out and Hermione shook her head. Ron could be so obtuse sometimes, and when he was taken away from Luna for an emergency meeting, he could be a downright pain.

Hermione went back to Fred, who was looking worried. She opened her mouth to explain to him some of what was going on, but was cut off by a questioning look from Tom. "Will you be needing the upstairs room on the right?" he asked.

"Yes," she said tersely.

"Allright then," he said, and retreated back behind the counter to read his book.

Fred just looked at Hermione and cocked an eyebrow, "The upstairs room on the right?" he asked, "Is there something I should know about? Something you've been hiding from me, hmm?" He pretended to leer at her.

"Stop it Fred! I don't have time for this!" she snapped, "You have such a dirty mind! Yes, the upstairs room of the right! You'll see!" Hermione was getting tired of having to keep saying where they were going. Anybody could be listening! And it was _not _a brothel or whatever kind of room Fred was thinking it was for crying out loud! She took a deep breath. "Just follow me," she tried again, attempting to calm down.

Fred followed her up the stairs and waited confused while she took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on to it. She then handed it to him and watched while he read it.

_The emergency meeting quarters of the Aurors can be found at the Leaky Cauldron in the upstairs room on the right. _

Fred looked at her strangely, and she supposed he must be confused and remembering the similar message that he had read to be able to see Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Once he was done reading it, she ignited the note with her wand and watched it until it was burnt to ash. Then she turned her attention to the door. Hermione could already see it- she was the secret keeper after all, and she watched as his eyes widened as he saw the door as well where before there had been a window.

Hermione gestured him to follow her inside, and then shut the door firmly.

"Emergency meeting quarters?" Fred asked. Hermione saw he was a little bit befuddled. "What do you need those for?" he continued.

"I'm not sure how secure our office is right now," she said, "and this is where we meet when something comes up that needs to be dealt with immediately."

Fred didn't have any time for more questions- Eleanor Dudley, Honoria Callahan, and Ron had Apparated in. Eleanor, Honoria, Ron, and Hermione were the only ones who could Apparate in because of the anti-Apparation charms. Anyone else would have to walk up the stairs like Hermione had to do with Fred and read a note from Hermione, the secret-keeper. Sensing that the necessary people were inside, the door disappeared back into the woodwork and the window appeared again, showing rambling farmhouses and cattle. It was a magic window- they were still in the Leaky Cauldron.

Eleanor, Honoria, and Ron all greeted Hermione, and looked pointedly at Fred.

"He's fine," Hermione said.

The rest shrugged their shoulders. Fred had sat in on official meetings but never when they were this important. While he was not an official Auror, he had ideas that had been extremely helpful on more than one occasion, and Hermione had decided it probably would be a good idea to have him there. _Not to mention that you want to be with him in any way, shape, or form you possibly can_, her traitor voice whispered before she told it to shut up and firmly concentrated on the task before her.

She addressed those assembled. "I'm not sure how much you four know about the situation…"

* * *

**A/N: Well that was a nice and long chapter. I hope you guys like it. I will be updating this story sometime in this week- don't worry, updates will be coming! Also, check out my newest Hermione/Fred one-shot: "George's Advice". Consider it my Christmas present to you all!**

**Please leave a review on your way out, and have a Happy Holdiay season!**

**Lady Mage**


	6. Toilet Paper Traumas

**A/N: Again, to see a complete list of the Auror department, see chapter three.

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**

Wizarding Common Law

**Chapter Six: Toilet Paper Traumas**

_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world, and moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?

* * *

_

Hermione looked at those gathered around her in the secret emergency meeting place of the Aurors: the upstairs room on the right in the Leaky Cauldron. The squad leaders didn't know anything yet, and she felt a little bad about ruining their weekend. Ron had been with Luna, doing whatever engaged couples did (Hermione was sure that it involved a lot of heavy snogging and touching), and the two other group leaders, Honoria Callahan and Eleanor Dudley had been vacationing with their husbands. She herself had been innocently out to lunch with Fred (now also present in the room) when the problem had occurred.

Hermione reckoned this was nothing new. Aurors had to be on call all hours of the day, wherever they were, to deal with situations that required their attention. And Honoria's and Eleanor's husbands understood this, as did Luna, Ron's fiancé. She was lucky, in a way, that her parents had died several years previous, and Fred and the Weasleys were the only 'family' in her life she had to account to. Fred understood- he often was the mind behind some of the discoveries she had made, and the Weasley family had two members in the Auror department and knew what it was like.

And now- now she would have to brief the group leaders (plus Fred- he was here too), and they would have to deal with the situation. Namely, get the 40 dead bodies of Muggle Doctors off the floor of Diagon Alley and the door of the Leaky Cauldron, and figure out who and what was behind it all.

She addressed those assembled. "I'm not sure how much you four know about the situation, but we have a crisis on our hands. Forty muggle doctors were killed today and stuck to the door of the Leaky Cauldron and the floor of Diagon Alley with a permanent sticking charm. Obviously this has something to do with the deaths of Mr. Warbeck, Mr. White, and Mr. Stoke. The Memory Modification Squad is working nonstop to modify the memories of muggles who saw the bodies before the 'do not notice me' charm was placed on them. We will have to tackle this case immediately. Are there any questions?"

Eleanor Dudley looked taken aback, and the joking expression left both Ron and Fred's faces. Interestingly enough though, Honoria Callahan seemed to know what was going on.

"How did you know?" Hermione asked Honoria, curious to know how she had gotten information so quickly.

Honoria looked like she had been expecting the question. "Phineus Gardiner just reported to me moments after I got your call. He and Samson Prewett-" here she nodded at Eleanor, since Prewett was in Eleanor's squad- "have a report for you and both are waiting outside."

Hermione smiled. The forty-two year old Gardiner was so helpful- he should really be promoted and given a squad. The Auror department needed more Aurors- it was still down in numbers because of the war with Voldemort. "Allright, we'll ask them in then. But before we do, are there any more questions?"

"Was there toilet paper at the scene?" asked Eleanor Dudley. She was obviously trying to piece the puzzle together.

"I don't know," answered Hermione, shaking her head, "but I would wager Gardiner and Prewett probably have something to say on that score. Anyone else?"

Honoria, Fred, and Ron shook their heads. Assignments would come later after they had heard the report.

"Allright," Hermione said, "Then bring him in." She pulled two slips of paper from the pocket of her robes and scribbled a note to Samson Prewett and Phineus Gardiner to let them enter the room. Neither of them had ever been there before. She then handed the two notes to Honoria, who crossed to the door, and brought the men inside.

Both of them were gaping- Hermione supposed they had no idea that there was such a thing as emergency meeting quarters. "You are not to tell anyone about this room, do you hear?" she told them sternly.

They both nodded.

"Allright, then, make your report."

The news was not good. Gardiner had been visiting a muggle friend of his mother that morning. The family friend was ill, and was expecting a house call from her doctor. The doctor had never shown up, and when Gardiner had called up the clinic where the doctor was supposed to come from, he got the reply that none of the doctors had come in that morning. Sensing something was up, he was going for a quick bite to eat in the Leaky Cauldron before contacting Honoria Callahan, his superior, when he saw the barricade of bodies. Prewett was already there and had searched the scene- having been headed there for his morning cup of tea. At that time, they had contacted Honoria, and were told to try to Apparate into the Leaky Cauldron, which they did successfully.

They concluded their story by both giving short bows in Hermione's direction, which she promptly rolled her eyes at. Aurors could be so formal sometimes, and so informal other times. Couldn't they pick one way to be and stick to it?

Silence reigned for a full minute before Hermione was able to pull herself together. "Right then, Gardiner, Prewett. My thanks for your astuteness and report. What was found at the scene? Other than the bodies, I mean."

"Toilet paper and this wrapper," Samson Prewett handed her the items, and she carefully examined them. The toilet paper was the same as had been found at all the murder scenes so far- it was nothing new. But the wrapper? Never before had a wrapper been found at one of the crime scenes in this case. She examined it, but it was bloodstained and she could not quite make out what it said. It appeared to have been brightly colored, and she could make out a couple of 'w's on it. Other than that, she couldn't tell what it was or where it was from.

Fred, on the other hand, appeared to know exactly what it was. Shaking, he asked for the wrapper, and examined it closely. He did not speak for several minutes.

"Well?" Hermione finally asked him, impatient to move on.

"It's- well… it's-" Fred stuttered, a look of utter horror on his face. He didn't seem to be able to go on.

"Spit it out, Fred," Hermione said, trying to figure out what could have spooked him so.

"It's a wrapper from the first editions of… well, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Toilet Paper traumas." The last came out all in a rush, and Hermione was hard-put to understand it.

_I knew it,_ thought Hermione to herself. _I knew all the mentions of toilet paper had to do with something! Why didn't I think of this before?_

"What? How could you have sold them to a murderer?" Ron exploded. _Trust him to overreact, _thought Hermione impatiently. They needed to get on with business, not blame other members of the team. Honoria, Eleanor, Prewett, and Gardiner all looked a little surprised.

"I didn't sell them, Ron," he said, gritting it out, the guilt written plain on his face. "If you'll just plug your brain into your mouth, you'll remember that they debuted only this week, and we never _sell_ the first editions. They are always too faulty." Fred was clearly taking it very hard.

The noise level in the room rose until it was almost out of control. Everyone seemed to want to know how the pure blood maniacs had gotten hold of the toilet paper traumas. Not that anyone knew what they did and what part they played in the murder. Aurors were generally too busy during a big case to walk into jokeshops, Hermione realized.

She pounded her fist on the table, trying to get everyone's attention. When that didn't work, she inserted two fingers in her mouth and whistled loud and clear to calm everyone down. "If you will all review the facts of the matter, you will remember that Mr. Stoke was killed a month ago, and Mr. White two weeks ago. The WWW products were not released until this week."

Eleanor cut in. "Ms. Granger, if we may ask Mr. Weasley-" here she nodded at Fred, not Ron- "some questions?"

"You may," came Hermione's reply. Eleanor was fair-minded enough- she wouldn't jump to conclusions like Ron would. And everyone else- well, Fred could handle.

"All right then. Fred, what are the current properties of the toilet paper traumas?" Eleanor asked.

"The ones we sell in the shop now, or the ones we first came up with?"

"Both, if you please," came Eleanor Callahan's reply.

"Well, George and I came up with the idea about a month and a half ago, when we were discussing the customary 'soft' spells on toilet paper. Wouldn't it be funny, we thought, if when you went to- you know- wipe, if something happened? Maybe you were transported somewhere scary or somewhere that was on the top of your mind- maybe a girlfriend's house, or work. And, of course, you would arrive with your pants halfway to your knees. Anyways, that's where our ideas started. Merlin knows we wouldn't have gotten into it if we had known what would come of it. Then, we decided to modify them so by wiping you released creatures that wouldn't let you pull up your pants or something, and that's how they are now."

Hermione nodded. She had heard a lot about the toilet paper traumas from Fred (and George for that matter) but she had never known that they were originally meant to transport you somewhere. If only she had known.

"But how did the pure-blood maniacs ever get a hold on them?" asked Gardiner.

Fred looked like he was wracking his brains for the answer but couldn't find it. He shrugged. "I don't know- we keep a pretty tight watch on all our products."

"Could they have been stolen, then?" Ron wanted to know. Hermione nodded at Ron approvingly. That was the way an Auror should behave- thinking things through carefully and analyzing the facts.

Fred managed to look offended. "Not on my watch, brother dear," he said.

"But you don't watch the shop all the time do you?" Prewett asked. "Surely your brother watches it some of the time?"

Hermione had it. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't I see this before?"

"What, Hermione," Ron rolled his eyes at her.

"Fred, dear," she said, addressing her husband (_Why am I thinking of him that way? And why did I just call him dear?_ she rebuked herself), "weren't you mad at George about a month ago for pranking people with the toilet paper traumas? You said you left him at the shop and the next day he had taken all of them to prank people with."

Fred sat up straighter. "You know," he said, "I do remember that. And he said he did it too. But I'll bet he only pranked one or two people and the rest were stolen that night."

"That would be the 'how'," Hermione said, "Now let's fix it."

-

Three hours later, they had had limited success. They still didn't know who exactly the wizards were that had killed the doctors, and they had no idea why. Ron's squad was busy investigating the legislation that was currently going through the Muggle Parliament, with the help of Gardiner. Honoria's squad was still bodygaurding the muggle lawmakers, but now they were set also to keep a tight watch on the muggle doctors. A member of Honoria's squad was set to each major clinic in the city, and the rest of the squad looked after the muggle lawmakers. Eleanor Dudley was helping Honoria's squad set guard schedules and impenetrate the offices of each of the legislators and doctors.

All in all, there was nothing for Hermione to do. She had already, with Fred's help, gotten rid of the Permanent Sticking charm on the bodies, which had exhausted her. It was an extrememly complicated spell that really sapped your energy. Then, obstinately refusing to believe she needed rest, she had monitored everybody until they had sent her away to go home with her 'husband'. She felt useless and tired.

"No wonder Callahan didn't want to be head of the Auror department." she said to Fred, yawing, "I should have let Gardiner be head when he wanted to. Though for some reason Kingsley didn't want him as head... It's stinks though," Hermione fell in to step with Fred as they walked home together. "I miss out on all the fun this way."

Fred looked on in surprise. "Why not?"

"Well, he was in Slytherin for one thing," Hermione said, her voice muffled. "Though it seems like that shouldn't be an issue now. He's perfectly trustworthy, you know."

Fred nodded, chuckling at Hermione's constant bid for house equality. "Well, regardless, I think we've had plenty of 'fun' today."

"Yeah," Hermione agreed, forgetting about Gardiner. "It feels good to be helping people, but…" she yawned again.

"Right now, you want dinner and a bed." Fred supplied helpfully. He seemed to have gotten over his scare and the guilt that he had felt, but Hermione knew that was just a show. He would be blaming himself for a long time. She would talk to him in the morning. She was just so tired right now…

"Mmhmmm," she stumbled against him and he put his arm around her to steady her.

"Come on, you need to get to bed," Fred said. With a light pop they were on their doorstep. She collapsed on the oversized couch.

"Don't wanna move," she said. Her bones were aching and she was just so weary. Why couldn't she just go to sleep here?

"You can't stay here alone," he said. "Come on, your room is closer to the kitchen, remember?" He tried to shift her but she wouldn't budge.

"Then stay with me," she said, already half asleep, pulling him down next to her and wrapping her arms tightly around him before drifting off with a smile on her face and a last, "G'night Fred."

* * *

**A/N: I see the beginnings of some _romance_! I hope you all liked it, and I apologize for the delay- my holidays were fantastic, but crazy. Please review to let me know what you think, and happy new year to all!**

**Lady Mage**


	7. Legal Loopholes

**Wizarding Common Law**

**Chapter 7: Legal Loopholes**

_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world, and moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?

* * *

_

The next morning Hermione woke up, not to the smell of coffee as on the two mornings previous, but to a heavy arm draped around her waist. Pivoting, she tried to orient herself and it took her a while before she realized she wasn't on her bed in her room, but on the couch in the living room she and Fred shared. What on earth was she doing there, with an arm draped around her waist no less?

She tried to turn and see who it was that captured her waist in a vise-like grip, but was unable to turn. She flailed around for a bit, until the arm lessened for a moment. During that moment Hermione was able to turn and see who it was.

It was her husband-no, Fred. She must really stop thinking of him as her husband.

Hermione gasped and made to get away, but at that moment Fred's arm tightened around her waist again and she was pulled closer to him once more. Who knew his left arm could be so strong? She certainly didn't, but she wouldn't underestimate it when she slept with him next time. _Whoa, where did that come from? _her inner voice wanted to know. She wasn't going to be sleeping with him again, was she?

Now their noses were inches apart, and the breath of Fred inhaling and exhaling was felt on her cheeks. Rigidly still, she had no idea what to do. She was pressed up against him tightly and had no other option than to be extremely aware of him. Every part of him.

Her crush for him that she had harbored all these years seemed to multiply tenfold, until she was no longer sure that it was just a crush. _Nonsense, _she told herself, _It's just a silly schoolgirl crush that you'll get over soon_. The more honest part of her (that was being pushed up close to Fred and liking it) realized that it had been seven long years and she had not gotten over it, but she told that part to shut up.

However she felt about Fred, she could not let this embrace (unknowing on his part) go on much longer. She might do something stupid, like kiss him in his sleep. Now that _would _be really stupid, she admonished herself when she felt she was drawn to the idea.

"Fred…" she breathed not wanting to speak too loudly because her mouth, after all, was right in his ear.

He mumbled in his sleep. "Mmmm… 'Mione," he was heard to say.

Hermione blushed. So she was the only one that didn't know that they had been sleeping together on the couch? Flashes of the previous night came back to her. She had been so tired. Had she really told him to stay with her? How embarrassing! Fortunately, he didn't seem to mind, but her cover might have been blown there…

"Good morning Fred," she said, trying to control her shaking voice at her closeness to him.

Fred again said little but, "'Mione…." He pulled her even tighter toward him. She thought she had been slammed up to him before, but now… now, his arm was tightly around her waist, she didn't know what to think. He was just so-

Fred's eyes snapped open, and Hermione watched as he gazed into her eyes and at the closeness of her to him. For a moment, it seemed as if their lips would touch- something that Hermione definitely wanted to happen, but then the moment was over.

"Sorry," he said, quickly releasing her and standing up.

Hermione fell to the ground in her haste to get away from him, and he paused his sprint to the kitchen to help her up.

She smiled at him. Even when he was trying to run away from her and from the awkward situation he was considerate of her. Despite the oddity of their relationship (Hermione having a crush on him for seven years) they definitely had a solid one. Again, thoughts of her marriage to him came to mind. Had she really been married to him for two days now? She would have to broach talk of their marriage at breakfast, and she wasn't looking forward to it. Bringing the subject up would ruin the equilibrium that they had attained after these last couple of stressful days.

* * *

She ended up putting it off until mid-afternoon. She had moped around the house all day, apparently scaring Fred, who no doubt felt that she was disturbed by waking up with him. Which was partly true, she reasoned, but it was more to do with the fact that they were married.

"What on earth are we going to do about it?" she finally moaned as she was sitting with Fred by the fireplace, reading a book.

"Do about what?" Fred wanted to know. He had been cheery all day ever since she had made a fool of herself frying bacon. The pan had somehow turned into a pig while Hermione was in the bathroom, scaring the living daylights out of her. She had thought the ghost of the bacon pig had come to haunt her, as it had apparently done to Ron and Luna.

"Fred!" Hermione was not in the mood for his twisted humor.

"No, I really want to know!" he replied, all too innocently.

Hermione gestured around the room at all the wedding presents that had accumulated. "Do you really need to ask?" she questioned him, exasperatedly.

Fred stroked his chin. "No, not really I guess. So Hermione, what are we going to do?"

Hermione nearly blew a gasket. "That's what I'm asking _you!_" How could he possibly not be taking this seriously? She continued, leaving no doubt about her annoyance, "Our 'magic is bonded' for crying out loud!"

Fred ploughed on, "Well," he said, "That does present a problem," he said.

"You could say so!" Hermione exploded.

"Okay, okay then. What are our options?"

She tried to think back to what that annoying Mr. Wood had said. "Well, we can look for legal loopholes, or we can-" she broke off, not wanting to say what must be said.

"Can what?" Fred asked, grin still apparent on his face.

Did she really have to say this? She supposed she did. But maybe- just maybe, hope to Merlin- would he say they should stay married? Well, she had to tell him the other option anyways and see what he said. "We could stay married," she said, holding her breath to see what his response would be.

"I see," was all Fred had to say. His smile slowly slid from his face. Hermione slowly let the air she had been holding. Had she really expected him to say yes and to rush into her arms? Hardly. "What type of legal loopholes do you think we can find?"

So he wanted the legal loopholes did he? Allright then. She would deal with it… somehow. "I'm sure we can find something," she said, "Mr. Wood said there were ways around it."

"Allright," said Fred. He didn't seem to have much to say.

Hermione nodded her head, trying to control the tears she felt welling up but wouldn't let Fred see. "Then I'll go owl Lavender and the library now, and we can make a trip down after dinner."

"Allright," Fred repeated, then asked, "but why Lavender?"

"Well, I suppose I'm going to need a new flat, aren't I?" Hermione looked at Fred hopefully. Perhaps he would say that she should stay? Again she held her breath, and for the second time that day was disappointed.

"Oh," was all he had to say, "I wasn't thinking about that." For the first time, he looked a little shell shocked. But by then Hermione had already walked out of the room and missed his expression, instead muttering to herself that she was going to have to move in with Lavender after all seven years later. Lavender would be thrilled- she'd always been upset when Hermione escaped her clutches and moved in with Fred instead. Hermione, on the other hand, was feeling less than thrilled with the prospect. Lavender could be such a ditz sometimes. The only way Hermione had convinced Lavender that living with Fred was a good thing was by pretending to be madly in love with Fred. Lavender, after seven years, still hadn't guessed.

* * *

Her letters written, and dinner eaten, Hermione and Fred set off for the Diagon Alley section of London for the second time in two days. This time was different from the day previous however- there was no laughing or joking as they put on their wraps and cloaks. A morose silence had fallen between them between them since their discussion of Hermione moving, and she was feeling unaccountably down. The two Apparated directly into Diagon Alley without a word to each other. 

"You did a good job last night," Fred finally volunteered seemingly grudgingly after many minutes of silence.

Hermione smiled slightly. Her love- no, crush, she corrected herself- might not be returned, but they were still friends, albeit friends going through some pretty darn tough times. She clung to that piece of comfort. She might not be married to him anymore in a couple days, might not even share a flat with him, but she knew now that she would be visiting him every day. "Thanks," she said. They fell silent again, and suddenly they were at the library.

Fred held open the door for her. "After you," he gestured. Hermione melted, then straightened up and resolved not to end up fancying Fred anymore than she already did.

They began to browse the shelves, and every now and then one of them would pull a book off the shelf and they would sit down to read it without success. Then the process would start again.

Hermione sighed. All they had found so far were the numerous reasons _not _to get divorced from a Wizarding Common Law marriage. The effects of divorce on the magic of the two individuals could be severe, and of the many people who had tried it before, Hermione still hadn't read an account where the separation hadn't ended one or both of the individuals in St. Mungos.

After four hours of searching, the shop attendant found them to inform them that the Diagon Alley would be closing in less than fifteen minutes. Hermione hurriedly scanned the shelves one last time. Surely there was some book? If she was going to have to 'divorce' Fred, she would prefer not to die in the process.

And suddenly she spotted a book she hadn't seen before. All at once her heart rose and sunk at the same time. Rose, because she wasn't going to die, but sank because she was going to have to spend a whole lifetime without one of her best friends.

"Fred," she said, "I think we've found the book."

He walked slowly over and they started reading.

_A Strange Historie of the Common Law or Rulings of Wizardkind, _read the interesting title.

"Looks promising," he said. He flipped open to the Table of Contents and they proceeded to read it together:

_Chapter One: The foundation and beginning of that which we now call Wizardkind_

_Chapter Two: And Sigfurd the Wise insisted on there being a common or unassailable law for all wizards._

_Chapter Three: The Basics of the unassailable or common law for all wizardkind_

_Chapter Four: Everie witch or wizard shall hereby be entitled to an education at Hogwarts regardless of wealth or status._

_Chapter Five: Everie witch or wizard is hereby declared equal, unlike the practices of the heathen Muggles._

_Chapter Six: Everie witch or wizard who shall live together for seven consecutive years shall hereby be declared married as that will keep them from separating and so decapitate their magic._

_Chapter Seven: Everie witch or wizard who does kill another wizard, witch, or muggle shall be put on trial and shall be sentenced to Azkaban._

_Bibliograph: Notes on how this text is compiled_

"Wow," said Fred, after they had finished reading the table of contents. "It looks like this one will have what we need."

"Yeah," said Hermione, somewhat morbidly.

* * *

The "Strange Historie of the Common Law or Rulings of Wizardkind" did have what they needed, it turned out. There was a special potion they could each brew so they would be able to cast magic effectively without being married to each other. This was a relief to both of them, although Hermione still didn't want to move out. She glanced at Fred. He was looking so handsome and resolute. She restrained the sob in her throat from coming out. 

They got back to their flat and each got a late night drink of warmed milk from the warming dispenser they had. After seven years, Hermione mused, their habits had become virtually the same. It would be weird leaving. And this was probably their last night together. Ever.

The thought made her gulp, and brought tears to her eyes. She could no longer deny it. She was in love, irrevocably, with Fred Weasley.

That night she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: First of all, I would like to apologize for the slow update. I've started school again, so it was very difficult for me to find time to write this chapter, especially since this is an important one. Updates will now be coming only once a week because of school committments which take priority. But don't worry, I will be udpating.**

**That said, I hope you liked this chapter and liked the interaction between Fred and Hermione. Can anyone tell me which Quidditch team Angelina Johnson is on? Was it the Hollyhead Harpies? This is important to the story, so I really want to get it right. **

**Anyways, please tell me what you think in a review! I know that there are _way_ more of you out there reading this story than are actually reviewing. So please take the time and REVIEW! They really are most appreciated and make my day! 100th reviewer gets a cyber cookie and a chappie dedicated to them!**

**Lady Mage**


	8. Four O' Clock AM

**Wizarding Common Law**

**Chapter Eight: Four o' clock A.M**

_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world, and moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?

* * *

_

Four o'clock on a Sunday morning could find many people in many different places. Some were at home in their beds, sleeping luxuriously through the night. Some were at late night parties continued from the day before, and others were doing a silent commute across the miles to get to where they needed to go. Still others succumbed to the need to get out of bed and get work done. But that Sunday morning at four o' clock did not find Mr. Fred Weasley in any of those places. Rather, he could be found staring out a window and into the rain which had started an hour previous.

This was a man out of options, but not quite sure what the options even were that he had lost. He was a newly married man, but one who was not secure in his marriage. Indeed, he'd only admitted to seeing his wife as more than a friend since she said she was moving out the night before. They had been married for three days and already it was going to his brain. And he was thinking things… things that had been in the back of his mind for a long time now and were just coming to the surface. Things like how beautiful and wonderful Hermione Granger was, and how he would miss her like heck when she moved. Did she really not care about him romantically? He supposed she didn't. At least they were friends.

All that really mattered to him though, and all he could articulate to himself at the moment was that he wanted her to stay. He would do anything to get her to stay. Even if it meant never pranking again. That statement meant a lot coming from him, Fred Weasley, prankster extraordinaire. Pranking had been his identity and still was, but she was his greater identity. Their teamwork and eventual marriage had taught him that.

Fred shook his head. How could he possibly get someone to stay who obviously wanted to run the other direction? Some times he wondered how he and Hermione had ended up living together. He didn't know, but he was glad they had. The last seven years had been wonderful. Hermione was one of the best friends a man could have. So she thought she was leaving then, hmm? Maybe there was something he could do about it.

A sound in the doorway caught his attention and he turned toward it. Hermione stood in the door fully dressed, with a suitcase in her hand. He didn't know what she was doing there; he wasn't sure he cared. He didn't register the suitcase in her hand; didn't notice her set it down and walk over to him. All that mattered was that she had been crying. He wrapped his arms around her, and they just stood there, clinging to each other for many minutes.

The embrace signified everything their friendship had ever been- the care and support they had expressed to each other over the years. He had helped her with her Auror job; she was always ready to look over new recipes for products and tell him her opinion.

And now? Now she was leaving. He saw the suitcase, and something fell, deep inside of him. Something that had been hoping against hope that she would somehow stay. But here he was holding her, and that was all that mattered. They would embrace again, but this one was special. Yes, he would see her again, but never on such intimate footing. Probably never again at the magical hour of four o' clock on a Sunday morning. This was an end to the lives they had led for the last seven years. From now on, they would be different people. But, on another thought, their lives wouldn't be that different. He knew now that he would visit her everyday.

His entire being itched to do more than just hold her, and suddenly he was stroking her back and kissing her tears away. She just stood there, letting him do it. Fred guessed that she wasn't particularly thrilled, but at least she wasn't running the other way- she was letting him comfort her and make her feel loved.

She shifted in his embrace, and suddenly her tongue was licking the inside of his upper lip, tantalizing him, before running across his teeth. He had no idea that anything so slight could feel so good, but he should have expected it after waking up with her the previous morning. It had been wonderful to hold her then and it was equally wonderful to hold her now. Her bushy hair fell past her shoulders and he ran his fingers through it as he pulled her in and deepened the kiss.

Caught up in a whirlwind of passion and something else he couldn't name, Fred didn't notice when she pulled away.

"O, Fred," she said, almost sadly. "You know this doesn't mean anything."

Fred's heart fell. "Since when does a kiss not mean anything?" he countered, trying to regain some of his Weasley twin bravado.

She traced his face with one hand and he leaned into her touch. It felt so good… She dropped her hand. "I'm leaving today you know," she said.

"I know," was his single answer. He had been up all night thinking about it, and apparently, she had been thinking about it a lot before she had fallen asleep. It obviously made her sad, and he completely agreed with her. He would hate not having her grumpy self around to tease in the mornings and miss not having anyone to make his spinach quiche for. Their dinner discussions were always amazing and he always loved hearing about the cases she was working on and telling her about his new inventions.

This would change if she moved out. _If we get a divorce_, said his inner voice, reminding him that they were married. Divorce. What a strange thought, especially coming from a man who never guessed he would marry at all.

But what if she stayed? What if they stayed married? Wouldn't things go on the same as they had been before? There was really no one in his life after Angelina had broken up with him a couple years before, and he knew that Hermione had dumped her last boyfriend three months ago because he was trying to get her to quit her job. They didn't necessarily have to, well- you know- have sex, or anything- although Fred found to his surprise that he didn't object to the idea strongly. In all, they could go on as they had been before, with an added component: marriage.

But did he dare say it to her? Would it ruin their friendship even more after the kiss? Would she respond well to it at all? Fred didn't know, but it was worth a shot. After all, his arms were still wrapped around her waist. His nose was only scant inches away from hers. And she didn't seem to be making any motions to move. Her suitcase was still by the door where she had left it, and she seemed perfectly content to stay where she was. Maybe he did have a chance then. He needed to tell her how much he loved living with her and how much he would miss her. Then he needed to eloquently beg her to remain married to him and reassure her that he would not press any advances on her that she did not wish for.

But in the end, only one word escaped his mouth. "Stay," he whispered, exhaling slowly, not wanting to hold his breath for fear that it would ruin his chances.

She was quiet for a long time, and Fred began to think that she didn't know how to turn him down without being rude. But he was wrong- when she finally cracked a smile, she gave him the answer that he'd been hoping for. "Allright," she said simply, her tone belying the joy that her smile conveyed.

Fred nearly jumped sky high with relief. So she was staying after all, praise Merlin. And thank Godric that he'd had the sense to beg her to stay. If she was this happy to stay, she must have been miserable. Fred felt like doing a jig, and did so, grabbing Hermione by the waist tighter and capering around the room with her, blasting an Irish Celtic melody from his wand which was laying on the table behind him.

Hermione laughed, the first carefree sound he'd heard her make that morning. All traces of tears were gone from her face and she attempted to swing out her legs in the same fashion as he was doing. They ended up sprawled on the floor, helplessly laughing.

He reached out and touched her face. "You know this means we'll have to stay married," he told her, trying to confirm her agreement and make sure that he had not misunderstood her assent.

She nodded. "I know," she said.

What exactly did that mean though, coming from her? Hermione could be confusing at best sometimes, although he knew her very well now after seven years of living with her. He raised an eyebrow, inviting her to explain.

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's not as if I have time to date, as you well know," she said. Fred nodded. The last of her boyfriends had been too demanding of her time and had wanted her to quit her job. Needless to say, Hermione had dumped him. "And, well, I'm not exactly the romantic type. This way, it's more convenient," Hermione continued, and was about to say something else before she trailed off.

"What was that?" Fred wanted to know. Why was Hermione turning red all of a sudden? Was there something she wasn't telling him?

"Well, I- uh…" Hermione stammered. Fred just looked on in shock. He had never heard Hermione stammer before, ever! What was she trying to say?

"Out with it Hermione," Fred said, patting her firmly on the back like you would to someone who had some piece or other of food lodged in their throat.

"I, well—you see…" Hermione trailed off uncertainly. "I also wouldn't be adverse to developing the part of our relationship we were experimenting with earlier…"

Fred looked confused until Hermione kissed him again. Fred beamed at her, realizing how brave she must have been to say that. "I would agree with you on that one," he concurred, enjoying the happy, contented look on Hermione's face.

They sat in silence for many moments until Hermione interrupted it. "You know what this means?" she asked.

"What?" he asked, curious as to what she had thought of or was going to reveal next. Right now, a moon-cow could make the yearly jump over the moon and he wouldn't give a damn. He was with Hermione and nothing else mattered.

"If we're going to really be married then, we need both need rings."

Fred did a double take, but nodded. That made sense. "How do you propose to do that?" he wanted to know. He looked at the clock. It was six o' clock now. They had been talking for two hours.

"Fiona Fairfax's Fabulous Food should be open right now, and after that we can go looking."

Fred nodded. He liked the idea of picking out rings together. Many men picked out the rings by themselves, but he had never liked that idea, and knew Hermione would never accept something that she had not fully chosen for herself. They set off into the sunrise, deciding to walk to Fiona's as opposed to Apparating.

Many hours later, they returned home at sunset, having spent a beautiful day together. As their fingers intertwined, two new gold bands could be seen on each of their left hands, glinting in the setting sun. They were subtle, but if you looked closely enough, you could seem them as well as the love the couple felt for each other.

That night, they slept together for the first time in Hermione's bed, completely unaware of what was approaching.

* * *

**A/N: Hoorah! Finally! Wasn't it nice to get Fred's POV for a bit? Don't worry- the story's not over yet- I still have to clear up the mystery part! So yeah, right now we're looking at about four more chapters, but that may change a bit. **

**I'd like to thank all those who reviewed last time- you guys are amazing. Reviews make my day- I love hearing from you all and responding to you. Again, there are _a whole lot more of you reading than reviewing_. So if you could just try your best to take the time to review, that would be wonderful! Like I said before, 100th reviewer gets a cyber cookie and a chapter dedicated to them, so start competing:)**

**Thank you for your continued support- **

**Lady Mage**


	9. All the Wards Are Falling Down

**Wizarding Common Law**

**Chapter Nine: All the Wards Are Falling Down**

Dedicated to RubeusHagrid34, my 100th reviewer and an all around awesome person! Enjoy your cookies!

_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world, and moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?_

Monday, in contrast to the day before, marks the return to the everyday life of the drudge. Not to say that Hermione Granger was a drudge, she just would much rather be spending the day with her new husband than going to work. But, as on all Mondays, she had to be early to set an example. "Blast example," she muttered to Fred as she staggered into her coat and out the door.

Fred laughed and kissed her long and hard. "Have a good day, 'Mione," he said.

"You too," Hermione replied, beaming at him. Fred was so wonderful!

Flooing to the ministry, Hermione gave her coat to her secretary and sat down at her desk chair in her department. She fiddled with the new gold band on the fourth finger of her left hand, smiling to herself. When Ron walked in and caught her in the act, Hermione gave a little start and glared at the question she knew was coming.

"So you're staying married then, Hermione?" he wanted to know.

"Yes Ronald." The scowl on his face made her almost laugh.

But how could she really laugh? There was a case to solve, and even though it seemed as if she had achieved her own happy ending with Fred, she still had to solve the rest of the world's problems. And that included investigating the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes security Pensieve to see who had stolen the original Toilet Paper Traumas to commit the crimes. Thank Merlin for Gardiner… he always had the best ideas. She was glad he'd brought this in to her last night after obtaining it from George.

Ron seemed to sober at the fact that his scowl hadn't made her laugh. "What's going on now?" he asked.

"Since Gardiner's not here, go check the shields and wards on the office and the ministry," she said, poking the silvery matter in the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes security Pensieve, "Then come here."

Ron went off to do as she bade and she looked closer at the Pensieve before plunging in.

_She was in the storage room at the back of the twins shop. Cases and cases of products lined the shelves but the most prominent of all were the 'Toilet Paper Traumas'. No one was in sight. Except, she could hear something! Straining her ears, Hermione slowly crept over closer to the sound._

"_I'll be going now then, George," Hermione heard Fred say from the other side of the cases._

"_Right then," George replied, "Have a good time with your lovely girlfriend." _

_Fred was heard to sigh. "For the last time," he said, "Hermione is not my girlfriend. And she has a boyfriend- well, she broke up with him, but the point is the same." Fred seemed used to telling George this._

"_I don't think the point _is_ the same, dearest brother. You wish she was yours, don't you!" George smirked._

"_Hermione is her own person!" Fred retorted._

"_I knew it! You like her!" George playfully skipped around his brother._

_Hermione observed Fred blush at this point through the gap in the shelving. _How sweet, _she thought. He must have liked her even then. But, back to business. She had a job to do. And that involved finding out who the perpetrator was._

_Fred said his goodbyes again, and George sat down on a case of the 'Toilet Paper Traumas' and began whistling 'There Once Was a Maid Nimue' to himself. Apparently, it was his favorite song. Hermione shook her head, but knew she had to be patient. She would find out what she wanted to know soon._

_Sure enough, it didn't take George long to get bored with sitting on the box in the storage room, and he wandered off into the store to be met with Lee Jordan. Lee appeared to be looking for pranking products._

"_What are you looking for?" George asked. _

"_I want to prank Angelina," Lee said, "She's being cursed obstinate about being in love with Victor Krum."_

_She observed George's mouth drop. "What?" he asked, "I thought she was in love with Fred!"_

"_Nope," Lee said gleefully. "Not anymore. She dumped him, remember? Besides, Fred's all over Hermione anyways. What I mean is that _Angelina is in love with Krum! _She won't admit it though, which I'm trying to get her to do. So, hence, the pranks."_

_Hermione beamed at the mention of Fred all over her. Even in the past he had loved her- how blind she had been where his feelings were concerned! However, Hermione couldn't help but be surprised at Lee's statement that Angelina was in love with her old flame, Victor Krum. Hermione supposed that they would make a good couple (since they were both Quidditch Players) and were about the same age, but it was still unexpected._

"_I see," said George, "Well, in that case, I have something even better."_

_Shaking her head at George's stupidity, she followed them back into the storage room. George and Lee grabbed a couple Toilet Paper Traumas and Disapparated away, laughing._

_Now the interesting part began. Hermione waited anxiously for the perpetrator to appear and unmask himself, but he (or she) never came. Once or twice she thought she heard the door creak, and then items began disappearing off the shelves. The thief must be wearing an invisibility cloak. _

_Hermione watched as the thief stole about thirty boxes of Toilet Paper Traumas, unable to do anything. She was only in a memory: the memory of the security cameras, and therefore was only an observer. _

_A flash of something deep green met her eye. The thief was taking of his or her invisibility cloak! Praise Merlin! Hermione would finally see who it was. She leaned forward, seeing more dark green robes and a hint of graying hair belonging to a woman. She tried to look closer but found that the harder she looked, the worse the visibility was, and then…_

BOOM! She was leaning back from her chair at her desk and spluttering. "Dammit!" she yelled, pounding her desk with her fist. Ron looked at her concernedly from where he was checking the wards.

"You all right, Hermione?" he asked concernedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, still disoriented, "and so is that looser who stole from Fred and George."

"What?" Ron asked.

"Well, someone didn't want me to see and knew I would go looking. They truncated the memory just in time." Hermione pounded the table with her fist again.

"That stinks," Ron said, somewhat empathetically.

"You are the king of the understatements," Hermione practically snarled. "I was _this _close!" she held up two fingers very close together.

Ron took one look at the now furious Hermione and went back to investigating the wards on the office. "There doesn't seem to be anything wrong here, Hermione," he said, "Would you like to come take a- hold on- what was that?"

Hermione made her way over to him, still furious over the insight to the mystery she had been denied. "Yes?" she asked.

Ron continued prodding the air around which the wards were. Suddenly there was a crack, and Ron fell backwards unconscious. Glancing at the wards, Hermione could see them turning bright green.

_Uh oh, not good, _she said to herself. Someone had breached the security at the ministry. She pressed her badge that would send a warning message directly to the Minister's office, and then pressed it again to alert the group leaders to stand by and not to go into the office.

Her job in the office completed, Hermione Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, Ron in tow. These were the times when she was thankful for the secret headquarters. She stood expectantly by the wall, waiting for the window to turn into the door which she knew was there, but it never did. Someone had perpetrated the secret meeting quarters as well.

That left only a few suspects: Eleanor Dudley, Honoria Callahan, Phineus Gardiner, Samson Prewett, Patricia Cote, and, as much as she hated to admit it, Fred. Ron obviously had the alibi that he was with her when the incident occurred. But the hair she had seen belonged to a woman. Patricia Cote was the only woman listed with grey hair, but, quite frankly, Hermione didn't think Patricia had it in her to steal something.

Hermione tried again to open the door with the unlocking spell, unlocking charm, and every hex and curse that was supposed to pull things apart, all unsuccessfully. Sighing, she turned to Apparate away, when she happened to glance back. The door was now present, and somehow she knew that the Fidelus Charm had been removed. To add to her confusion, she heard the crack of someone Apparating away from inside the room. They had obviously overcome all the security wards she had set up. What was going on?

She propped the still unconscious Ron up against the door frame before bursting in, being wary of traps that might have been laid for her. Sure enough, there were the telltale statues with crossbows pointed at her which were standing in the center of the room grouped around something. Hermione instantly knew that if she so much as stepped into the room she would be dead in a second.

"Stupid," she remarked out loud. "Did they honestly think I would barge in without looking?" She dismantled the statues with a wave of her hand, but in the process sent one arrow flying towards her. It hit her on the leg, and she was hard pressed not to let out quite a large grunt of pain. She stopped in her progress across the room to pull the arrow out. Fortunately it had missed any vital parts, but the blood was flowing fast and she lowered her wand in an attempt to perform a healing charm. It would not work. The arrow had been poisoned, and she would need help soon. She performed a freezing charm on her leg to slow the spread of the poison and its affect, and continued to advance into the room that had once been a haven for her when all else was wrong.

What was Patricia Cote doing lying face down in the middle of the floor, surrounded in blood?

Hermione hesitantly approached the older woman. "Patricia?" she asked gently.

Patricia Cote looked to be in agony. "Oh, Ms. Granger," she said, whimpering in pain, "I'm dying."

Hermione wanted to protest, but she knew in her heart of hearts that Patricia was right. So Hermione just settled with not saying anything.

"All this time I thought he loved me," Patricia Cote continued, writhing in pain. "And I was just under the Imperius curse."

"What?" Come to think of it, though, it made sense. The thief in the security pensieve, now that she thought more on it, looked remarkably like Patricia Cote from what she had seen.

"He Imperiused me to steal things from your husband's joke shop," Patricia affirmed weakly, body still lurching "and now, having no use for me, has stolen my magic. He never did like muggleborns…" Patricia found herself unable to continue the sentence and gave a sigh, her body falling into eternal sleep.

Patricia Cote was dead. Dead because someone had stolen her magic. Dead because of some racial and magical stupid prejudice that went against the Common Law. Didn't the 'Strange Historie' say that it was the right of all wizards to an education at Hogwarts and acceptance into the Wizarding World regardless of wealth or status?

Well, she was Hermione Granger and as an Auror refused to be intimidated by much. She would figure out this case, even if she had to do it all by herself with a poisoned leg. And, by Merlin, law and order would be restored.

That was the last thought she had before the freezing charm on her leg fell prey to the poison slowly spreading through her body and she passed out next to Ron.

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**A/N: I have been absolutely amazed at the response of the last chapter. You guys are awesome and your reviews totally make my day! Oh, and by the way, 150th reviewer gets cyber fudge and a chapter dedicated to them! But just a note here: there are way more of you who have this story on story alert than are reviewing! Tsk tsk ;) Please take just a second to tell me what you think, even if it's a flame. I love constructive criticism: it lets me know that I'm doing something good enought that people will take the time to help me make it better!**

**As for the update, I am extremely sorry it was so slow. Things have been crazy and I wasn't able to update a week ago and writers block prevented me from updating Saturday like I wanted to. That problem is solved now, and I have a pretty clear idea of where I want to go with this. Chapters should be coming weekly again, from now on, like normal. If you would like information about my updates or want to know what happened when I didn't update, check out my homepage at lady-mage . blogspot . com (take out the spaces). I'm sure that will help.**

**Again, thanks so much for reading. I hope you liked it, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave a review on your way out!**

**Lady Mage**


	10. Kreacher

Wizarding Common Law

**Chapter 10: Kreacher**

A/N: To see a complete auror list, please visit chapter three.

_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world, and moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?_

_

* * *

_

The first thing Hermione noticed when she came to again was that the wards were back up and her poisoned leg ached like mad.

"Funny," she said out loud, through a haze of poison. "I thought that whoever it was that murdered Patricia got rid of the Fidelus charm."

Apparently not, for it was still buzzing around her and Ron, who was just starting to wake up. And the door was nowhere in sight which meant that they were locked in the room until help came.

"Damn," she swore. She needed attention to her leg soon and knew that if she didn't get help in the next five hours she would most likely die.

"Huh?" asked Ron groggily.

"Nothing," she replied, as her leg twitched and she bit back a scream. "Do you have your wand?" she asked.

Hermione vaguely saw him groping around in his robes and pulling out his wand. _Thank Merlin that he hides it in such an odd spot_, Hermione thought, still puzzled about what had happened. Sometime between the time she had fainted and the present, someone had stolen her wand, recast the Fidelus charm, and removed Patricia's body from the scene of the crime. Thankfully, they hadn't thought to look for Ron's wand.

"Do you need it?" he asked. "Why?"

Hermione glared at him with all the strength she could muster which wasn't much. "Excuse me, Ronald. Last time I checked we were stuck in this room because of a Fidelis charm turned on us and a murderer was on the loose. Maybe the murderer has decided to raise pygmy puffs, but I don't know that, and until I do, I'm considering this a serious situation!"

Ron shrugged, and tossed her the wand, which landed on her leg. _Oh the agony_- it felt like the wand wood was slicing through her very being itself. She gasped, and Ron saw.

"Come on, Hermione," he said jokingly, "It didn't hit you that hard." He peeled up her robes, supposedly to show her how she was not bruised at all. Instead, he was countered with a bloody mess and the blackness of the poison, slowly spreading through her body.

Hermione didn't even want to look at it and closed her eyes accordingly.

Ron gasped. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"You were unconscious when it happened," she replied, "and then I passed out because of it."

"Oh." Ron didn't seem too capable of words at the moment. He performed another freezing charm on her leg, and she relaxed slightly, feeling sharper.

"We need to get you to St. Mungo's," he said.

"Fat chance of that," she said, "I wish Harry were here."

"We could try communicating with him?" Ron suggested helplessly. Hermione scoffed at his naivette. Sometimes she was surprised he'd made it to group leader in the Auror department with statements like that. Of course all magic was blocked. Except for probably house elf magic…

Wait a second- house elf magic! Of course!!! That was the answer! "Kreacher!" she yelled, hoping against hope that Kreacher would respond. He had lightened up a lot to her after the war, but… well, she could never be sure of his attitude towards her.

Ron looked at her strangely. "What?" he asked, "Kreacher's at Hogwarts!"

Hermione's grin covered the grimace that had previously been on her face. "I know," she said, before the freezing charm was eaten up by the poison and she passed out once more.

* * *

Harry Potter, hero of the war with Voldemort, sat at his desk at Hogwarts and sighed. He loved teaching the first year's defense, but… some of them were just so annoying! And every year there were more and more and more muggle-borns, which meant that they had no previous knowledge of the world of magic. Merlin knew that he didn't have anything against them, it was just surprising that for the last two years the number of Muggleborns had tripled. He couldn't figure it out and neither could McGonagall. 

He nodded his thanks to Kreacher as he was handed a cup of steaming hot tea, and the house elf beamed in happiness.

The tea seemed to do the trick for his aching shoulders and Harry reached for the papers of the seventh years. He had been surprised at first when he started with how little they knew- after all, when he was basically a seventh year, he had defeated Voldemort. Mostly, their little knowledge had been thanks to the never-ending curse of a new DADA teacher each year. Now, thanks to his relentless teaching and the disappearance of the curse with the death of Voldemort, his seventh years went out into the world ready to take anything on.

No, he didn't really want to read their papers right now. He had gotten a letter from Ginny, his wife, that morning and reached for that instead. He missed her so much and wished that his cramped living quarters would allow for her and their soon to be children to live with him again. He really had no idea why he had been given these small apartments this year, although it probably had something to do with the new Transfiguration Professor and his obnoxious desire to have an entire suite of rooms. McGonagall had given Harry larger quarters for next year again, but it was such agony to wait that long to live with Ginny again! Praise Merlin for evenings and weekends.

Speaking of which, why hadn't she shown up last weekend? Maybe her letter would tell him something. He opened it and began to read.

_Dearest Harry,_

_First off, sorry I was unable to come this weekend… something came up out of the blue and we are still trying to take care of it. No doubt you heard about the muggle doctors… yes, that's what we're dealing with. No, it's not a job for magical law enforcement… it's something we have to deal with. Can't put more in a letter. _

_I decided to write to you today because I was told by Honoria Callahan (you know, my group leader) not to come in to work today before our connection went dead. I don't know what happened to her, but it sounded like someone had smashed her badge that allowed her to communicate with me. I don't know what to do... I can't seem to contact Hermione, Ron, Eleanor, or Honoria, and I can't get out of the house because it's under surveillance. I tried flooing out earlier but found myself unconscious beside the fireplace. I'm all right, but thank goodness you had the foresight to renew the Fidelus charm the Blacks had there. I think someone was watching earlier though, and it looked like he knew where the house was even though he couldn't see it. He was an older man, probably around 40, and he looked familiar, though I still can't place his face. He looked rather sinister as well._

_On a lighter note, guess who got married?_

What? That was a sudden shift. Trust Ginny to make light of the fact that someone was keeping her in the house and she was afraid.

_Yes, good old Hermione finally decided to get hooked up with… drumroll please… FRED!_

"About time." Harry muttered to himself, before continuing on to peruse the letter.

_It wasn't done on purpose: apparently if you live together with another witch or wizard for seven years, you end up married according to Wizarding Common Law. I had never heard of that particular law before, but it seems to have worked out for the best. It is rather amusing because both have been denying their feelings toward each other for years. They seemed to have decided to stay married and I saw them Sunday (while I was on my patrols) buying rings. It was the most adorable thing ever. _

_Please come soon._

_Urgently yours, _

_Ginny_

She just had to tell the details of Hermione and Fred's romance, did she? Ah well, that was Ginny for you. Harry nodded and smiled to himself, thinking about how he would tease his longtime friend Hermione. Glancing at the letter again, he was reminded of serious matters. He had to go home to Grimmauld Place. Now. Ginny was in danger.

"Kreacher!" He yelled.

Kreacher appeared, covered in blood and what looked like poison. "Yes master?" he panted.

Harry took a moment to observe the disheveled state of his house elf. Ever since Harry had given him the Black family heirloom, Kreacher hadn't been disheveled at all. "What happened?" he asked.

"It is being master's friend, Ms. Granger," Kreacher replied, still panting.

"What about her?" Harry wanted to know. What could possibly have happened to Hermione? She was head of the Auror department for crying out loud! She could take care of herself! But the words in Ginny's letter came back to him. _I can't seem to contact Hermione_… _sounded like someone had smashed the badge… a man in his forties watching the house… don't know what to do… come soon._

"Ms. Granger being in the way of poisoned. Come quick!"

Harry swore. It seemed like he wasn't done saving the world yet.

* * *

Hermione slipped in and out of consciousness after she called for Kreacher. It felt like hours before he showed up, and even longer before he set to work on her leg. He muttered about Slytherin magic and nastiness, and Hermione was vaguely grateful that he'd had dark wizards for masters and knew how to cope with the poison. 

From time to time she thought she could see Ron's worried face swimming in front of her vision, and once or twice she thought she saw Harry. Thank Merlin he had come. Though why was he talking about a forty year old man and Ginny? Had Ginny been unfaithful? Somehow, Hermione doubted it.

"…gotten all the poison out… she'll have a dreamless sleep… take her back to Fred…" Hermione heard snatches of conversation, and felt herself drifting off.

Her sleep was not dreamless however, and she soon found herself deep in her memories…

* * *

Fred paced the flat he and his wife shared. For a moment he was distracted by the sound of the word 'wife' in his mind, but soon he began pacing again. Where on earth was she? Had something else come up? He hoped not. Hermione needed the case solved: it was getting more and more dangerous by the moment. He was hardly going to ask her to quit, but usually cases didn't take so long to solve for her! And usually, she sent a message when she was going to be home late. The absence of a message probably meant that she was in trouble. 

Deciding that he would go see if he could find her, Fred pulled on his cloak and was about to walk out the door when four figures Apparated onto the doorstep.

"Let us in quickly!" one of the figures said to him. Fred recognized the voice as belonging to Harry.

"Who gave the first donation to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" Fred asked to make sure of Harry's identity. If it really was Harry, the answer would be "I did". If it wasn't, well… the answer would be wrong, and Fred would kick him back to kingdom come.

Fred's planned kick was unnecessary as it turned out: Harry answered the question correctly and the group was gestured inside quickly.

"Do you know where Hermione is?" was the first question Fred let out of his mouth.

Harry nodded and gestured towards two of the other cloaked figures, who removed their outerwear to reveal themselves as Ron and Kreacher carrying…

"Is that her?" he practically shrieked. She looked like she was dying! What on earth had happened? Honestly, he was shocked that she had allowed her leg to get pierced in such a manner. Usually she was more on top of things. He carefully lifted her out of Kreacher and Ron's grasp and set her on the sofa where they'd slept with each other Friday night.

Ron nodded.

"What happened?" Fred wanted to know. He knew, theoretically, that Hermione got injured a lot on the job, but knowing it and seeing it were too different things. It was so hard to see her pale, weak, and helpless.

"I was checking the wards at the ministry, especially the ones in the office, and suddenly I saw a whisper of magic and a breach of the shield. It must have been there a while, like a small hole in a stocking that slowly unravels the rest of the garment."

"Since when have you been so poetic?" Fred asked his brother wryly, trying for some semblance of calm.

"Sorry," Ron apologized, "But that's exactly what it was like. Frankly, I'm surprised that Gardiner didn't notice it earlier… it's his job to be sure of the wards. Maybe he hasn't checked up on them in a while- I don't know. Anyways, I probed the hole, to see what was making the wards 'unravel', and BOOM, the next thing I knew was that we were in the secret (or not so secret as it turns out) room upstairs in the Leaky Cauldron."

"Well, what happened?" Fred asked impatiently, "To Hermione?" he added, at Ron's bewildered look. For the millionth time, Fred wished his brother could just tell a straight story for once in his life.

"When I woke up, it had already happened. Hermione said she was fine but I didn't believe her. Someone had turned the Fidelus charm on us and taken her wand. She called for Kreacher, and you know the rest." Here he nodded at Harry.

Fred slumped. So they didn't know what happened to Hermione so they weren't going to be able to reverse the effects. Maybe they could go to St. Mungos?

Harry must have noticed this because he put a calming hand on Fred's shoulder. Fred looked at him gratefully. "She just needs rest," Harry said, "Thankfully, Kreacher knew the problem and was able to take care of the poison before it spread any further. She might be weak for a while though."

_Praise Merlin!_ Fred had been so worried- he wasn't sure if he could cope with thinking he was going to loose her again. Still, he wasn't going to leave her side. He nodded his thanks to Kreacher reluctantly (after all these years he still didn't like him), and the house elf nodded curtly back before turning to Harry.

"If it please the master," Kreacher said, "the mistress needs him."

Fred looked on with some amusement and concern as Harry's face grew into a mirror of what Fred's had looked like previously.

"Right then. Kreacher, lead the way."

* * *

**A/N: I'm thinking there will probably be about three to four more chapters. It's dragging out longer than I originally intended, but I want to tie everything up. Again, you reviewers are absolutely amazing! I'm so glad so many of you are enjoying the story. If you don't, tell me why so I can fix it! Remember, 150th reviewer gets cyber cookies and a chapter dedicated to them! Also, this story sends out about 80 emails when I update, so to the other 60 of you who aren't reviewing, it would be great to hear from you! What do you think? Good or bad? Even a one-worder would be great so I know how I'm doing! **

**Again, to hear about updates, feel free to email me or visit my website both of which are listed in my profile.**

**Thanks for reading and please leave a REVIEW on your way out!**

**Lady Mage**


	11. So Much for Dreamless Sleep

**Wizarding Common Law**

**Chapter 11: So much for dreamless sleep**

Dedication: WolfMusic. Thank you so much for your many reviews! I loved hearing from you and hope you enjoy the chapter! Here are the cyber cookies! Cheers!

A/N: For a complete Auror list, please visit chapter three.

_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world, and moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?_

* * *

She was deep in the realm of dreams, recounting pleasant memories she had long forgotten. Her first doll swam before her eyes, staying only a moment before she was loosing her ninth tooth at dance class, making an A on a paper in elementary school, and getting her Hogwarts letter. It seemed to flow around her, making no impact and leaving no trace. When the memories were gone, it was if they had never existed. But they were still there.

It was an odd state to be in: where she existed only within the borders of her own mind: where her past, present, and future were all one with each other, making her who she was. For a moment, she reveled in the pleasantness of her life and simply existed.

But then the dreams came back.

Slowly but surely, they crowded her mind; jostling for attention like children in front of a teacher that they like. Her interview for the Auror department came and went before her eyes: Tony Ingram's retirement and her appointment to head of the department instead of Gardiner… Gardiner's demotion from squad leader to make room for Ron… his initial resentment and then his eventual compliance with her orders… the dreams went on and on.

Sometimes, she found herself looking at events that she knew she had never witnessed: a tender scene between Patricia Cote and Gardiner and the sorting of members of her department into the various houses of Hogwarts: Honoria Callahan into Gryffindor, Eleanor Dudley into Ravenclaw, Patricia Cote into Hufflepuff, Samson Prewett into Hufflepuff, Ron into Gryffindor (she had been there for that one), and Phineus Gardiner into Slytherin… he had a decidedly evil looking grin on his face that Hermione couldn't like…

Hermione's potion-hazed mind could not dwell on the new information for long before it sunk off into another round of dreams, kaleidoscoping out of control.

So much for dreamless sleep potion.

* * *

Honoria Callahan woke up in a dark and dismal place. Her wand was gone and her arms were somehow tied to the wall. She tried for a couple minutes to free them with limited success.

_Where on earth am I? _she asked herself, almost hysterically, before her Auror inner voice told her to shut up and think. She reviewed events in her head: she'd woken up that morning, heard from Hermione not to come in to work, written a letter to her children, kissed her husband, then talked to Ginny before the connection went dead. Ginny had found something important: what exactly, Honoria couldn't remember. She shook her head, trying to remember her conversation with Ginny.

It wouldn't come.

_Why can't I remember?_ It seemed odd that she couldn't- hell, she could remember her very first birthday and the time when Patricia Cote and Phineus Gardiner for tea and managed to shag all over her couch when she was out of the room. That was the kind of thing you purposely tried to forget, but still, she remembered. So why wasn't she remembering now? There was only one solution.

Her memory had been modified.

This set her brain whirring into new paths of thought. If her memory had been modified, her conversation with Ginny had been important. It probably had something to do with the task that Hermione given her… what was that again? O, right, her squad was working with Eleanor's to bodyguard the doctors and legislators in the muggle world. Wracking her brains, she tried to remember what Ron's squad was doing. She thought it was something along the lines of investigating legislation passing through the muggle Parliament. For some reason, she had a hunch that Gardiner was helping… why precisely, she could not fathom.

Ginny had been body guarding a brain surgeon; that much she did remember. But how on earth did it all fit in?

A sound at the door disturbed her reverie, and an unconscious Eleanor Dudley was thrown in the room by two burly men. The door was then slammed shut leaving the two women alone.

"Dudley? Are you awake?" Honoria asked as quietly as she could in the other woman's ear. Honoria and Eleanor had always called each other by their last names, from when they were little to the present day. It had made them feel like Aurors when they were twelve and still did now.

Eleanor Dudley groaned and sat up. "My head…" she mumbled, "Oh my head…"

* * *

"Will you stop pacing? I need to think!" Ron asked for what must have been the fifty-millionth time. Fred was really getting on his nerves.

Fred threw his hands up in the air, and, for the sixty-millionth time, blew up at his brother. "Well, pardon me, Ronnie-kins, but my wife is in serious danger in there! How do I know that Kreacher didn't play a vile trick on me? He always hated my guts!"

For the seventy-millionth time, Ron reassured his older brother that Hermione would be fine and that Kreacher wasn't out to get Fred. And for a moment, Fred stopped pacing long enough for Ron to think clearly through something.

Ron knew that someone perpetrated the defenses at the ministry- he wouldn't have passed out otherwise. But the strange thing was that no one except Gardiner and Hermione really looked at them. The idea that something that big had slipped past Gardiner or Hermione was unbelievable: they were both unbelievably sharp knives in the box. Ron had always wondered why Gardiner had been demoted to make room for him as squad leader… perhaps something had happened to make him no longer eligible?

And whoever it was breaching the defenses of the Upstairs room on the right, well, the list was limited to seven people: himself, Hermione, Eleanor, Honoria, Gardiner, Patricia Cote, now dead, or Samson Prewett. That left little room to move around and much room for accomplices and motivations.

Ron decided it was high time for him to talk to Samson Prewett.

* * *

"Wait, say that again," Harry told his wife, mouth wide open in shock, "Really?"

Ginny nodded her head. "It took me a while to figure it out, but last weekend after the murders, well, I looked up the information and saw that all the doctors killed were brain surgeons. It didn't take long to go from there."

Harry's mouth was still open, "You mean that they are actually performing operations on muggle kids, and the kids end up with magic right after the surgery?" he asked, just to make sure he had heard it right.

"Basically," Ginny affirmed, "It's a new brain surgery technique that's been developing over the last five years for kids with mental problems. It fixes those problems, and in the process somehow gives them magic. I'm not sure how, exactly."

Harry could hardly comprehend it. "Have the muggles discovered that the operation gives certain characteristics yet?" he asked.

"Certain characteristics? You mean_ magic_?"

"Well, yes."

"I'm not sure they have put two and two together yet, but if the operations continue at this rate, they soon will."

"Wow." Harry's mind was whirling. No wonder there were so many more muggleborns at Hogwarts every year. If things kept up at this outrageously fast pace, soon more than half of the muggle world would be attending Hogwarts each year. Was that such a bad thing? Harry didn't know, but it was sure going to be harder to keep the international statue of secrecy now. Muggles were bound to notice something eventually.

"No duh." Ginny looked at him, and Harry knew that she probably guessed at what was going through his head.

Harry glanced out the window again. The fortyish year old man was still standing out there, and seemed to be looking right at Harry. He definitely could understand why Ginny had been so frightened: it was a miracle she had managed to get Cecil, the family owl out.

"Where are the children?" Harry asked, worried for a moment.

"They are at Mum's," she answered, "it's safer there."

"Good thing, that," he said, lapsing into thought once more.

Who would have such a hatred of muggleborns that they would actually go to such lengths as killing _40 _muggle brain surgeons?

"Who do you think it was?" Harry asked her after a long and heavy silence.

"I don't know," Ginny said, "I just don't know." She looked out the window again. The man who had been watching the house had left.

"Let's go to Hermione's," Harry said finally, "Maybe they have some answers."

"If Hermione doesn't, who does?" Ginny asked.

* * *

Twenty-nine year old Samson Prewett was a little confused. Eleanor Dudley, his squad leader, had told him not to come in to work that day, and normally he would have just gone with it and let sleeping dogs lie. However, this day was different. As dusk approached and he still hadn't heard from anyone at the office, he became more and more befuddled. Usually when he was told not to come in, there was either an infiltration or it was right after a case was solved. He knew the case wasn't solved, because he would have heard about it, but an infiltration didn't make sense either, because he would have heard from Eleanor.

Abstractly, Samson wondered if the day of silence had anything to do with Gardiner's plan to find out who the murderer was. When he had come across the older man the previous Friday, he had been standing very close to the corpses of the doctors. When Samson had asked Gardiner what was going on, Gardiner had given a little start and said he was looking for any evidence on their bodies that might lead to the capture of the murderer. The bodies were probably five minutes dead, and Samson had asked Gardiner if he was going to report to his group leader, Callahan. Gardiner had looked surprised for a moment before agreeing ('Of course… how could I have forgotten?' were his exact words) and pressing on his badge to make the necessary report. Moments later, they were in the secret room in the leaky cauldron, and Samson distinctly remembered the gleam in Gardiner's eyes upon discovery.

A knock on his door interrupted his reverie, and his cousin Ron Weasley entered, looking furtively around him. "Have you talked to anyone or gone anywhere today?" Ron asked the older man.

_This has to top the list of interesting occurrences, _he thought to himself with a wry smile. "No."

"Good," Ron said. "Now let's get down to business. Can you come with me please?"

Samson Prewett almost let out a guffaw. Ron in a somber mood was very humorous. The situation must be dire indeed. "Sure," he said, "Where do you want to go?"

"Hermione's and Fred's will be fine," Ron said tersely, and the two Apparated off.

* * *

In her sleep, Hermione dreamed once more. Every now and then she would crack an eye open and survey the room, Fred's room. The bed smelled just like him… and she was sent off into delirious fantasies about when they had children.

"_Mama," her dreamchild said, "Tell me the story about when you and Papa were first married."_

_Much to her surprise, Dream-Hermione found herself complying, and she was lost in happy memories of Fred. ".. and then, as you know, I had a wound in my leg," she told._

"_Is this when Papa thought you would die?" asked another dreamchild of hers._

_Dream-Hermione nodded. "Meanwhile, Ginny had found the information, Cally and Dudley were locked up by the evil Gardiner…"_

"_Who you thought was good," one of her dreamchildren added._

"_Correct," Dream-Hermione said, before continuing on with the story…_

Hermione sat bolt upright, panting and sweating. What on earth was that? Ginny had found information? She had children? Who were 'Cally' and Dudley? Gardiner was evil? Wait- WHAT??

_**NO!!**_

He couldn't be, could he? Not possibly! Why, he was the one who had been helping all along, and he was the one who had brought her the pensieve! He had done all sorts of things for her: checking the wards, and… well… he did lots of things!!

_Yes, but he didn't really check the wards did he, _her subconscious who knew the truth said snidely. _He left a big gaping hole that knocked Ron unconscious!_

Hermione got out of bed and began to feverishly pace around the room, nearly falling when she put weight on her bad leg. He had brought her the pensieve! "Take that!" she snarled at her subconscious.

But her subconscious would not be defeated. _Yes, he brought you the pensieve, conveniently truncated! He brought it to you to allay your suspicion!_

Well, there was one thing that her subconscious could not deny: _he _was the one who had brought the full report of the deaths of the doctors, that day in the upstairs room on the right.

_But he could have just as easily killed the doctors as found them, _her subconscious protested again, _and what's this thing about his mother's muggle friend?_

She began to pace, ever faster, around the room. She couldn't deny it for much longer: he _had _been in the upstairs room on the right. He _was_ about the same age as Patricia Cote, so _could_ have romanced and Imperiused her. _He _was the one at the scene of the crime, _he _was the one who was supposed to check on the wards the one who probably had been tampering with them in the first place. _He _was the one who…. The list went on and on. She still didn't want to believe it, but the evidence was irrefutable.

But why? Why on earth had he done all of it? Why had he killed the doctors? _Meanwhile, Ginny had found the information. _If part of the dream was true, then it made sense that she should find Ginny.

She shivered, not liking the other implications from the dream. If Gardiner was the culprit, and Ginny had information, where were Honoria and Eleanor?

* * *

"We need to get out," Honoria Callahan said as soon as their guards had left, shoving food through a cat-hole in the door.

Eleanor Dudley nodded, her head still aching too much to allow her to say anything else.

"What if we-" Honoria began before she was hushed by Eleanor.

"There are people in the passage!" she whispered.

Honoria strained her ears in an attempt to overhear what was being said. She could make little out, only catching the words 'muggle minister' and 'shortly' then, finally, a whole sentence: "You stay here and I'll go check on the prisoners". It was a familiar voice, and Honoria scrambled back against the wall just in time for a figure to enter.

"Callahan, Dudley," the man said, "So nice to see you here in my lovely home." Honoria could almost place the voice. He continued on, "I never thought I would have the pleasure."

"Pleasure, indeed," Eleanor spat in a sickly-sweet voice, "So _nice _to see you out of the office too!"

It was then that Honoria realized who it was.

"Gardiner!"

"Yes, my dear?"

Honoria was speechless. He had been in _her_ squad. How had she not noticed his perfidy? He was constantly under her nose… _well, not so much anymore, _she thought, _he's been working independently these last couple of months, and now I know why. _

"Speechless in my presence?" he smirked. She reflected that it was only slightly disturbing to see a forty-two year old man cloaked in dark robes smirk. Right, only slightly disturbing. No, she was actually pretty repulsed.

"Well, since you don't have more to say, I must be off," now he was smiling widely- an almost feral smile, and Eleanor was seen to shrink back. Honoria held her ground however. "Oh really?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yes really," he said, "I have an appointment with the muggle minister that I wouldn't want to miss." With that, he swirled his cape in an overly dramatic manner and Apparated off.

"O Merlin help us," wailed Eleanor Dudley. It was a mark of how serious the situation was that Eleanor was wailing.

"Calm down, Dudley," Honoria said in her crispest fashion. She had been working with her hands that were chained to the wall and, with an extra tug that sprained her wrist, freed them. Once free, she then picked the rest of the locks muggle style before moving to Eleanor and releasing her as well.

Once free, they Apparated off. Stupid Gardiner and company had forgotten to put up a charm, thinking it impossible that the Aurors would get away.

* * *

Kinglsey Shacklebolt was on a mission. He had to get to Hermione's place. It was already too late to prevent another murder, but perhaps they could catch the culprit after the crime. Speaking into his security badge, he kept posted through Antoine Percy, the Auror guarding the Muggle Minister.

"It won't be long now," Antoine's cracked voice came over the badge, "He's just entered the office. There are wards up that I can't get through: this man is an extremely powerful wizard."

"Is the minister still alive?"

"Sure enough, he's reading papers at his desk, with no knowledge… **CRASH**… Merlin help…. **THUD **He- he- he… well, he's dead now."

"O Helga," Kingsley said. There were some days he hated being Minister of Magic. He sprinted up the last couple steps to Hermione and Fred's house. Bursting through the door, he interrupted Hermione in what appeared to be a long tirade.

"Yes, it's Gardiner! I know it is! Gardiner who appeared to be our friend!" Hermione was stomping around the room, being caught at various points by Ron who told her to calm down, Samson Prewett, who told her that he was sorry he hadn't realized it sooner, and by Fred, who was looking as concerned as Hermione was and almost nearly as agitated too.

"I knew it!" Kingsley crowed triumphantly, "looks like being demoted didn't stop him!"

The whole room stared at the new occupant, and Kingsley remembered his mission.

"The muggle minister… he's dead… and by wizard hands."

* * *

**A/N: How's that for an action packed chapter! My longest yet! I'm terribly sorry about the slow update- as many of you know, I've been extremely busy in school and haven't had the time to work on any of my stories in a long time. I don't want to promise that the next chapters will be uploaded faster, but I am committed to finishing this story, so no worries!! Remember, REVIEWS speed up the writing process:)**

**I'd like to thank all my wonderful regular reviewers and all the new ones I've gotten recently: you all are wonderful. Keep doing what you are doing: they really make my day!!**

**So, on that note, the 200th reviewer is going to get a cyber lollipop and chocolate from my personal cyber candy factory! Oh, and a chapter dedication of course! Start REVIEWING!!**

**Lady Mage**


	12. Apprehended

**Wizarding Common Law**

**Chapter Twelve: Apprehended**

A/N: I am extremely sorry that this chapter took a month… it was extremely hard to write and I wanted to get it just right. Also, for a complete Auror list, please visit chapter three. Enjoy!

_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world, and moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?_

* * *

**Previously on Wizarding Common Law:**

"_Yes, it's Gardiner! I know it is! Gardiner who appeared to be our friend!" Hermione was stomping around the room, being caught at various points by Ron who told her to calm down, Samson Prewett, who told her that he was sorry he hadn't realized it sooner, and by Fred, who was looking as concerned as Hermione was and almost nearly as agitated too._

"_I knew it!" Kingsley crowed triumphantly, "looks like being demoted didn't stop him!"_

_The whole room stared at the new occupant, and Kingsley remembered his mission. _

"_The muggle minister… he's dead… and by wizard hands."_

* * *

The room seemed to buzz after that statement, and Hermione Granger found herself gaping like a fish. "Oh Merlin," was all she seemed capable of saying before sitting down abruptly in the seat next to Fred. He patted her hand and she felt a strong urge to kiss him before she controlled herself. They could do that later. _Mmm… later…_

Hermione was brought abruptly back to earth when Kingsley nodded and began to speak again, "Thanks to you four, I now know who the culprit is. Fred, I'm going to make you an honorary Auror- Is that all right Hermione?- because the information of the case really shouldn't go outside the office." Hermione and Fred both nodded, and Kingsley conjured an Auror badge and fastened it to the front of Fred's robes before continuing, "We can now--"

Crashes from outside interrupted Kingsley mid-speech, and the four in the room jumped to their feet, pulling their wands out in the process. Kingsley was already standing and began to advance to the door before Hermione shouldered him to the side and stood protectively in front of him, wand extended. If anything happened to the minister of magic, then England would be without two ministers. Fred moved to stand by her side, supporting her in case her newly healed leg failed her.

Moments later, Harry and Ginny stumbled through the door. It had begun to storm, and, from the charred looks of the couple's robes, the couple had narrowly missed being hit by lightning.

Fred asked the necessary questions, and, once assured of the validity of the Potter's identities, ushered them inside and performed a drying charm.

Harry was the first to speak. "We know why the doctors are being targeted."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. So the second part of her dream was true as well. Did that mean she and Fred would have children? If the situation weren't so dire she would have pulled him into her bedroom right then and there. Instead, she settled for grasping his hand quietly. He squeezed back, and her stomach did a little flip. _Enough of that Hermione! _Her sensible self told her. _There is a situation here! _

Ginny stepped forward and began to explain how only brain surgeons had been targeted, how the members of the Muggle Parliament had been in favor of the bill allowing a certain operation to become legal in the muggle world, and how the surgery somehow bequeathed the children operated on with magic.

The whole room was still once Ginny had finished and sat down next to Harry, and Hermione remembered Patricia Cote's last words.

_He never did like Muggle-borns, _she had said.

Coming out of her reverie, Hermione noticed the whole room's eyes on her, and realized that she had probably spoken that last out loud.

Ron, in his typical obtuse manner asked who she was speaking of, and Hermione was hard-pressed not to roll her eyes. "Gardiner. Gardiner never liked muggleborns, well, according to Patricia Cote anyways."

"Gardiner?" Harry was confused.

"Yes, he was the one behind all the attacks." Hermione replied angrily. She wanted to hunt him down and throw him in Azkaban for the rest of his life! _Control yourself Hermione_, the sensible part of her told herself,_ You are not legally allowed to take revenge. Let the courts do their work. You just get him in their hands. _

Ginny's jaw dropped open before she poked Harry who had risen to his feet in anger. "Guess that explains the forty-something year old man outside the house, then."

Harry nodded, and began to pace the room. Hermione could tell that he was thinking the world deteriorated when he wasn't there to save it.

"Oh," said Ron, finally seeming to catch the drift about Gardiner and muggleborns, "But the muggle minister wasn't even a wizard, so why?"

Ginny and Harry looked at Ron strangely before Harry asked what the muggle minister had to do with anything, and Hermione was reminded that they did not know of his assassination yet. She opened her mouth to begin to tell them, but she was cut off again by several more pops outside the door and heavy knocking.

"I'll get it," she said, before opening the door to reveal Honoria Callahan and Eleanor Dudley. They burst past her, before stopping short at the company they saw she was entertaining.

"The muggle minister-" Honoria burst out before an apparent burst of pain in her wrist incapacitated her train of speech.

"Gardiner is going to get him and we need to go now!" Eleanor shrieked.

Harry and Ginny looked shocked, and stood up to follow Eleanor and Honoria back out the door, but Kingsley stood again sadly. "It's too late," he said, "The Muggle Minister was killed about five minutes ago." He paused, letting the information sink in. "We don't know what the diplomatic repercussions of this will be yet, in fact we were just going to begin discussing when you walked in." _Diplomatic repercussions… hadn't thought of those, _Hermione thought to herself. What on earth were they going to do?

"We still need to do something!" Eleanor said, gesticulating wildly. "We could organize a group and go after Gardiner at least… Honoria and I know where we were held, and-"

Wait, Eleanor knew where Gardiner's headquarters were and where he had was likely to be? Wonderful! Hermione stood beaming, all business now that she knew what to do.

"Good, that's settled then. Honoria, are you capable of returning to the cell? It looks like you broke your wrist." She didn't like sending them off into danger but there was really no other option.

"Wha-? No, it's only sprained. Why do you want us to go back to the cell?"

"Allright then. Did anyone see you escaping?"

Eleanor shook her head, catching on. "You want us to go back and pretend we never left?"

"Well, with a few modifications…"

* * *

"Can you do that for me?" Hermione asked Antoine Percy over her badge, five minutes after Honoria and Eleanor had left to go back to Gardiner's.

There was a crack in the connection, and a long pause.

"You understand why this is important, do you not?" Hermione asked a little louder.

"All right, all right," finally came the voice over the connection, "I'll do it. Where can I get the potion?"

"I'll be right there. Where are you?"

"Number Ten Downing Street, London. Just Apparate to the back and I'll let you in. There are security guards out front, but the ones in the back should be facing the other way and won't see you."

Hermione replied in the affirmative and was soon standing stock still in the backyard of the Muggle Prime Minister's yard. Casting a _Muffliato_ charm so the guards wouldn't hear her, she slowly crept up the path to the back entrance, and was ushered inside by the younger Auror. Once in the parlor, she cast the charm again, just in case, and sat down to go through her back of potions.

"Draught of living death…nope, felix felicitis, gahh.., wolfsbane- why do I even have that in here anyways- ah, here we go. Twenty-five doses of Polyjuice, brewed by the master herself. She took a bow and handed him the potion. Together they walked into the minister's office and cut some hairs off of his head. The potion turned a mucky color, and, while it was not as disgusting as Crabbe and Goyle's had been, it looked none too pleasant.

Antoine looked at her pleadingly for a moment, but she didn't back down, so he reluctantly took a swig of the potion. Immediately his slender features took on the look of the balding and adipose Prime Minister, although his look of discomfort did not sit well on his new face.

"Can you forge his signature?" Hermione asked.

Antoine shook his head no, and Hermione rifled through the desk, attempting to find signed documents. Finally, after much searching she managed to find a birthday card which he had signed and not sent yet. The signature read 'Edward C. Darywimple' in an ornate script. Hermione pointed at the signature, and at Antoine's right hand with her wand before handing him a piece of paper.

"Try it now," she said, hoping her spell would work. She'd never used it before.

Antoine picked up one of the muggle pens littering the desk and wrote the signature perfectly in under thirty seconds.

"Perfect," Hermione beamed, "Do you think you could right in his handwriting then too? Try to write something above the signature."

Antoine complied, doodling 'I love the conservative party' above 'his' signature. The handwriting matched perfectly with the writing on the card. As Edward C. Darywimple had been a staunch liberal, the note was somewhat amusing.

"All right then," Hermione said, walking back out into the parlor, "Make sure you banish the body and learn the material before 'resigning' tomorrow. Fortunately, you have few friends and no family, so no one should miss you when you 'retire' to the Isle of Wight to write your 'book'."

He looked unsure for a moment. "Do you really think I can do this?" he asked.

She nodded, and propelled him back into the office where she banished the body for him with her wand. "You have been working in his office ever since you left Hogwarts. You knew him pretty well, and you know his views pretty well. You are a Muggleborn, so you won't call something the wrong name, or make the social gaffes that a pureblood would make." When he didn't reply, she pushed him down into his desk chair. "Calm down! I'll only be a call away if you need me!" she said, trying to be reassuring.

Antoine sighed, and picked up the phone to call his 'staff' together. "All right."

"You'll be fine," Hermione said as she Apparated off. It was now time to alert the Magic Law Enforcement Squad to what was going on.

* * *

"Do you think he'll even come?" a bored Eleanor Dudley asked to an equally bored Honoria Callahan. They had been waiting for three hours now.

"He'll come," assured Honoria. "He no doubt wants to rub it in my face that he has me, his superior, in the bowels of his fortress."

"That's what you keep saying," came a voice out of a seemingly empty stretch of air. Eleanor jumped, then remembered that Ron was there under the invisibility cloak.

"Hmm…" Eleanor was doubtful, but knew that this was their best bet at capturing Gardiner. And if they could get him to slip something illegal… well, then, they would have double proof.

"To be perfectly honest, I doubt this is a 'fortress' as you so wonderfully put it," Ron said to Honoria, "It looks more like a muggle basement to me."

Eleanor fell into deep thought. _Muggle friend of my mother's, _Gardiner had said, with a touch of resentment. Maybe the muggle friend had been unkind to him, and he had chosen this time to throw her out of her house and commandeer it. "I think it's his mum's muggle friend's," she finally said.

"His mother died when he was a baby," said Honoria, shaking her head, "And the muggle 'friend' was killed by Gardiner at seventeen in a supposed bout of accidental magic."

So great was Ron's surprise that a forehead appeared out of nowhere before vanishing back once more under the cloak. Eleanor simply scowled. "When did you find that out?" she asked.

"My parents were part of the investigation twenty-five years ago, and they decreed it an accident, so I hadn't thought of it since. I thought that he was talking about a different muggle friend before, but now we know he was a pureblood fanatic, it seems obvious that he wouldn't have too many muggle friends. Actually, I just put two and two together right now."

Eleanor gaped at her older counterpart. Really, Honoria was amazing. Perhaps this was why Gardiner had been demoted from Sqaud leader to make room for Ron? Had Kingsley been looking for an excuse to demote him?

A sound in the corridor halted their talk, and both Honoria and Eleanor put their hands up with the shackles, making it appear, to the casual observer, that they were well and truly locked up. Seconds later, the door burst open and in walked Gardiner in a fluffy white bathrobe. The sight was a disturbing one, and served to make him appear even more sinister and disturbed. It looked like he had just had a nice long soak in his bathtub.

"You can try all you like, Gardiner, but you won't be able to get the blood off your hands," Honoria taunted, distracting his attention from Eleanor, who pressed her alert badge, and the invisible Ron, who snuck out to let his team of Aurors and the Magical Law Enforcement squad in.

The distraction worked, and Gardiner lunged, wrapping his hands around Honoria's neck, cutting off all air. _Apparently he didn't hate muggles enough to prevent him from using their dueling techniques, _Eleanor thought wryly.

She slipped out of her shackles and sprung on his back, pulling him off Honoria. Eleanor's wand snapped in the process, forcing her to abandon all hope of a magical arrest. Instead, she settled for a huge punch to his left cheekbone and another one that hit somewhere around his collarbone. Gardiner pulled away and the two began circling. She couldn't help but hope that he hadn't seen her wand break, but this hope was soon dashed. There were none of the formal trappings of dueling: no bows and ten steps away from each other. No, what he was attempting to do was murder. He shot numerous spells at her from cutting hexes and tickling hexes to stunning spells and even a crucio or two.

His second crucio hit Honoria, and Eleanor was forced to watch as her best friend writhed in pain. Perhaps Honoria had a wand that she could use? That was it! She feinted to the left, and while Gardiner sent a spell shooting that way, she darted right, grabbed Honoria's wand, and put an end to the crucio spell.

Rounding on Gardiner, she only let two words pass her lips: "En garde,"

This was going to be interesting and she was sure looking forward to it. The wand felt a little odd in her hand, but seemed to respond well enough when she sent a fire arrow his way. He dodged the arrows, but stepped and fell. The sound of at least ten people in the corridor distracted her for a moment, and during that time Gardiner righted himself and seized her wand, pinning her to the floor.

"I have you both at last!" he said gleefully, and Eleanor couldn't help but think that he looked a little mad, "No more cowtowing to the almighty women of the Auror department. Any last words?"

* * *

Any last words indeed. Pah. That man was so overdramatic that he didn't even make a good villain.

"True, we were kind of spoiled on Voldemort," Fred said with a wink, reading Hermione's thoughts.

"Okay, okay, you're right, Gardiner is a fine villain to take down. When should we enter?" She was feeling good… another case solved and another criminal apprehended. Although she would have to be looking for several more Aurors, as she was now down two from this case, and the department hadn't been full enough to start with.

"He's had whatever drama he's going to have: we should enter now before he does anything else," Fred recommended.

"True," Hermione maneuvered to the door and leaned on the frame casually, "I could ask you the same thing, Gardiner," she said, trying to follow the code and be as pleasant as possible, "_Expelliarmus. _That's better. Will you come with us please?"

"Never!" Gardiner pointed his wand at everybody in turn, but only came across as comical in his white fluffy bathrobe. Hermione was left to shake her head at the type of person who thought they could rival Voldemort.

Fred stepped out from behind Hermione and lazily waved his wand. Giant ropes appeared around Gardiner, prohibiting all movement. "I love being an honorary Auror," he whispered to Hermione while nibbling her ear as members of Ron's squad secured the area and took Gardiner off to await trial.

"Are you good here?" she asked Ron distractedly, while Fred did some more nibbling, this time on her neck.

Ron laughed, "Go home. You won't get anything done with him around anyways." Ron gestured derogatorily at his older brother and pretended to shield his eyes as Fred gave him a come hither look.

Hermione took one look at Fred's face and burst into laughter.

"Let's go home, Fred," she said. The case was over, and they could worry about the trial tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N: I am so sorry that this took so long to write!! Things have been absolutely crazy and I never really had a moment to sit down and write this... when it came down to it, this chapter was the most difficult and I hope I did it all right. There will be one more chapter and an epilogue, coming soon.**

**Like I've said numerous times, reviews really do speed the writing process: in fact the numerous supporters and well-wishers expressing themselves in reviews were the ones who kept me going and motivated me to finally sit down and write this chapter. I love hearing from all of you guys and hope you review here too!!**

**On that note, the 200th reviewer gets a cyber lollipop and chocolate from my cyber candy factory! So start REVIEWING!**

**Lady Mage**


	13. According to Wizarding Common Law

**Wizarding Common Law**

**Chapter 13: According to Wizarding Common Law**

A/N: I sincerely apologize this chapter has taken so long. I've had SATs and ACTs out the gazooks and my school has been a priority. This story will consist of one more chapter, an epilogue that will be posted before I go to camp for eight weeks. After I come home in August you can expect to see more from me- perhaps a sequel or prequel. I'll let you all know. I hope you enjoy the story and please leave a review on the way out!! 200th reviewer gets a cyber glass of milk, cookie, and dedication to the next chapter. Thank you!

_Hermione & Fred. They've been living together as friends for seven years which means that according to Wizarding Commonlaw, they are now married. Hermione is Head of the Auror department, and dealing with a case involving a series of murders. How will she be able to cope with the difficult case with the wedding presents that keep appearing? Is there any way to divorce in the wizarding world, and moreover, do they want to? And what the heck does toilet paper have to do with anything?_

* * *

Over the next few weeks, the only big news in the muggle world was the news of the extremely liberal Prime Minister resigning before disappearing mysteriously. The only clue as to the mystery involved a strange piece of paper which read 'I love the conservative party' signed by the man himself. It was sitting next to a birthday card addressed to his girlfriend (who did not happen to know where he was either and showed up furious at the office only to be confronted by the new minister, one Manchester Blake), and a medicine bottle, the remnants of which had turned up blanks in the medical world. The muggle police couldn't figure it out.

The wizarding police, or Aurors, on the other hand, knew exactly what had been going on, and this was showed to an extreme in daily headlines as the Aurors dredged up more and more dirt on the man who had formerly been one of their own…

* * *

_**THE NEW MOODY?**_

_Lila Holmes, Witch Weekly_

_August 20, London. This week, Hermione Granger, Head of the Auror department and recently married to Fred Weasley of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, has shown an excellence capturing dark wizards which almost matches that of the former 'Mad-eye' Moody. The several year head of the Auror department has proved her worth with the defeat of Voldemort, Phlogerom Grey, and the recently convicted Phineus Gardiner, a former member of the Auror department. _

_Few of the members of the Auror department suspected that their colleague Gardiner was bad; many, says Pavarti Patil, who worked side by side with the man for three years, trusted him to the utmost. Ms. Granger, according to Patil, was different. 'Hermione and I are old school friends and I know that she never fully trusted him. This was especially shown when she assigned Ronald Weasley to keep a constant watch on him.' When asked how she pieced it all together, Ms. Granger referred to a number of friends: Harry and Ginny Potter, who she fought side by side with against her first dark lord; Ronald Weasley, her brother-in-law and longtime friend; Honoria Callahan and Eleanor Dudley, fellow Aurors, held imprisoned by Gardiner in the bowels of his manor; and most importantly, her husband of little more than a week, Fred Weasley. 'Fred was very supportive of me through this trying time.' Ms. Granger also expressed gratitude towards the house-elf Kreacher who saved her life when she was poisoned… _poisoned, continued page 13.

* * *

_**NEW DARK LORD DEFEATED**_

_Gilbert Holbrook_

_August 25. As many of our faithful readers know, a former Auror, one Phineus Gardiner was convicted last Monday after the alleged killing of over 40 muggle doctors, several muggle politicians, including the Muggle minister. Gardiner is also charged with funneling away the Ministry wards, killing one Auror and holding two others hostage, poisoning the head of the department, and using several Unforgivables. He will be tried Thursday on the above listed charges as well charges of the killing of his muggle mother and several of her friends in his teens, and the Imperius curse on the late Tony Ingram, former Auror Department Head among other things. With these charges on his record, it is most likely that he will receive the kiss._

_How did he go uncaptured and unsuspected for so long? Gardiner remained in society blameless long enough after the murder of his mother and her friends in his teens. This all changed, he was forced to admit under Veritaserum, when he heard about more muggleborns attending Hogwarts, he soon figured out the reason. A type of brain sugery known as (please forgive your pureblood correspondent… it was worse that gobbledygook and left out for that purpose) has been found to 'give' muggles magic. That accounts for the tripling of Muggleborn magical students attending Hogwarts which has been so common in recent years. _

_The first of the charged murders having to do with the case happened earlier this year to one of the muggle politicians supporting these doctors. This murder baffled the muggle and magical police alike, for only toilet a rather vague item was found at the scene. The murder was then followed with two others: the most recent and famous being that of Mr. Perkin Warbeck, opposition to the muggle minister. For security reasons, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Auror Department will not release any information regarding how these murders were committed… _mystery, continued page 51.

* * *

_**BREAKDOWN OF THE STATUTE OF SECRECY?**_

_Wilma Hardsinker_

_In the aftermath of Gardiner's sentence and kiss, we find ourselves in an interesting situation. Regardless of how he did it, the man did reveal something interesting to us: the possible slow breakdown of the statute of secrecy which has been in effect since the 17__th__ century. With more and more muggles attending Hogwarts or any magical school, it will become increasingly difficult to hide ourselves as we find ourselves needing more room. New schools will have to be founded, and this influx could mean something entirely new to our community which still has many medieval traditions… _Medieval traditions, continued page 4.

* * *

_**KREACHER HOUSE-ELF HERO TO SAVE**_

_Gilly, Free House Elf Times_

_This week Kreacher-house-elf saved the magnificent Harry Potter-sir's friend the fantastic lady-Hermione from snuff-it. Kreacher-house-elf then saved all of favorite Harry Potter-sir's friends and the whole world of wanded.. to have Kreacher save youse, contact Gilly-free-house-elf right now… _

* * *

_**ACCORDING TO WIZARDING COMMONLAW**_

_Lavender Brown_

_Wizarding Common Law, in addition to causing our favorite Hermione Granger and Fred Weasley to hook up, has other uses as well. Most notably, it says that every magic child born in England shall have entitlement to a magical education to Hogwarts. So tosh, to what Mr. Goyle has been saying about the exclusion of all muggleborns from Hogwarts. We all know what the consequences of Wizarding Common Law are- if the laws are broken for any reason, the said witch or wizard looses their magic. So why not train new witches and wizards into our ways to become the most powerful wizarding nation in the world?_

* * *

Hermione snorted at the papers she finished reading. Kreacher was such a piece of work, and so was his friend Gilly. Speaking of which, she hadn't sent S.P.E.W.'s monthly donation to the Free House Elf Times yet… Moreover, she was glad she didn't have to deal with the new policy regarding muggleborns and the Statute of Secrecy! With this case patched up, it was back to business as usual: old ladies calling a squad when her cat got lost, etc.

She looked up at Fred and grinned.

"Did you read the one on Wizarding Common Law?" he asked.

"Oh yes," she cocked an eyebrow.

"Loss of magic, huh?"

Hermione waited, eyebrow still cocked, to see what Fred was getting at.

He leaned closer. "You wouldn't want to loose your magic now, would you?" He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt as they went.

"Now why would I ever want to do that?" she asked, breathlessly after a long kiss. "The other options are so much more enjoyable… mmmhhhmmm…" She smiled and pulled him back down again. After all, they didn't want to disappoint Mrs. Weasley…

Although maybe June was a little _too_ soon.


End file.
